Taco Addicts needs a Caravan

By Amber Sturtz

PledgeMe.Project

Food,



NZ $16,523 pledged


182 people pledged


Closed


NZ $15,900 minimum target


100 100% Complete

This campaign was successful and closed on 13/05/2019 at 1:00 PM.

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About

Taco Addicts Needs A Caravan

Project 2019-04-01 11:54:25 +1300

Taco Addicts is a small, local business serving taco lovers around Wellington. Mostly a one-woman show, the owner Amber Sturtz creates delicious Austin style, Tex-Mex tacos for you, right here in Wellington.

The emphasis is on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients available in New Zealand. We value environmental responsibility, composting, and recycling whenever possible. We like to think we’re a food truck (currently without the truck) with a difference!

 

What makes Taco Addicts different?

 

Amber comes from Austin, Texas, and made New Zealand her home in 2005. During her career in travel & tourism, she dreamed of opening a taco truck in Wellington. She retrained to become a chef; worked in cafes, catering and a hotel, and in 2016 Taco Addicts was born.

 

My hometown of Austin is often considered the most taco-obsessed city in the USA. Throw a rock and you will most likely hit a taqueria.  

 

A lot of people have this idea that Tex-Mex is yellow cheese and sour-cream, ground beef and crispy taco shells. This isn't what Tex-Mex is to me. It's fresh, it's delicious, it's inspired by Mexico but it uses what is locally available.

 

the Unnamed Taco: caramelised onions, tofu choriz-no, oregano potatoes, shredded cabbage, Vegan Taco Sauce, salsa roja   Perky Pork and the Shredded Cowboy: both made with free range NZ raised meat   Chicken Verde on a corn tortilla (all handmade)

 

Lots of people ask - how are Austin style tacos different from those in Mexico?

Texas is close to Mexico, with a large Hispanic and Latin population, so it draws a lot of influence from various regions of Mexico. However it has developed its own distinct taco culture. In Texas you can get a BBQ taco because Texans love BBQ. Also, tacos in Austin are often served on a flour tortilla.

 

Here in NZ, I’ve tried to create a similar vibe, with a menu that always offers at least two plant-based options, because I was raised mostly vegetarian and love playing with my vegetables.  With Canterbury-grown wheat available here in NZ, we hand-make all of our tortillas. At events, we offer the option of a plain flour, wholemeal flour, or a corn tortilla (gluten free, yo) to contain your choice of fillings. The flour tortillas we make can also be bought at Moore Wilsons, along with the Salsa Roja that we put on all tacos.

 

Everything is handmade – from the tortilla to the salsa; to the spice mix on the “choriz-no”; to the shredded brisket; to the vegan taco sauce. If we can’t make it, e.g. feta, we try and find a great supplier who can, e.g. Zany Zeus.  We support local. We try to find the best ingredients. We only use free-range meat. We offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and omnivore options.

 

I’ve never seen them before – Where is Taco Addicts?

 

Taco Addicts started by delivering ready to eat tacos to office workers during lunch times. Then we tried out the Underground Market below Frank Kitts Park. We moved to the Friday Night Market in Left Bank; as well as joining the Vegan Vault when it began two years ago. We set up at events such as Newtown Festival, Kapiti Food Fair, Aro Valley Fair, Cuba Dupa, Out in the Park, Karori Karnival, the Vegan Expo, etc.

 

Faces of Taco Addicts

 

Thumbs up for tacos   Vegan tacos, no mushrooms!  

More please

  Fellow Texan taco addicts   Regular customers make our day!
                 
Cuba Dupa 2018   Such happiness   More thumbs up for tacos  

Out in the Park 2018

  Vegan Vault tacos

 

Taco Addicts has been operating for 2½ years out of gazebos. This is exhausting! Tables, gazebos, weights, water, pans, burners, LPG bottles, Bain Maries, chilly bins full of food – all this needs to be loaded into a car, unloaded at the other side, set up, packed down, unloaded again. It can require two hours of set up and pack down at each event we do. Not to mention a breeze, the rain, the gale force winds that try and steal the gazebo while we’re trying to serve your tacos!

 

Thorndon Farmers Market   Sometimes it rains on us   Friday Night Market

 

Why do we want your money and where will it go?

 

We believe it’s time to make the move to bigger premises! We need a taco caravan! We want to keep most things the same – bring you the same awesome tacos, at the same wonderful events. However, with a caravan, we can bring you more tacos more often. We can offer Taco Tuesday lunch days around Wellington! We can save Amber’s body and wallet from hours of physio and acupuncture (leaving more time to make tacos)! We can create a job and hire a real person!

 

We have most of the equipment from under the gazebo. We need the caravan, as well as a bit of extra dosh to get it branded with the Taco Addicts slogan ‘seven days without a taco makes one weak’ as well as some colourful, eye-catching glitter (without the glitter because that is environmentally harmful). We’d also like to outfit the caravan with solar power to make it as energy efficient as possible.

 

Breakdown of your pledge money:

Caravan $12-15,000

Outfitting caravan for tacos $2000

Branding/wrap/painting $3000

Reward costs $3500

Solar panel outfit $3000 (stretch goal!)

(We know this doesn't add up - some of the above costs will come from us!)

 

In exchange for your hard earned cash, we’ve got 10-trip taco cards, ethically made aprons, take-home taco kits, salsa and tortillas, tote bags, the naming rights to new tacos, lunch delivery, cooking classes, wedding catering and more rewards to say THANKS WHANAU.

Comments

Updates

Hey! Thanks for checking out this project.

We haven't made any updates yet, follow us if you want to be notified when we do.

Pledgers 182

Claire AdeliePenguin Baker
27/04/2019 at 10:07pm

"Amber - you're hitting big goals and I'm a very proud friend! Can't wait to prevent oil spraying my clothes with a Taco Addicts apron! Woo!"

Joe Fecteau
27/04/2019 at 7:31pm

"Best of luck Amber!"

Anonymous pledger
27/04/2019 at 5:08pm

"May I please have wholemeal? Thanks. You're awesome Amber :-)"

Jess G Totten
27/04/2019 at 5:46am

"good luck!"

Ivy Arya
27/04/2019 at 1:53am

"What you are doing is amazing! I am so impressed, the people of NZ need your tacos. I wish there was a Taco Addicts here in Munich. Love,ivy"

Anonymous pledger
25/04/2019 at 9:35pm

"Love those tacos!"

Arni Litt
25/04/2019 at 2:43pm

"Go Girl! I've been watching you from afar and hope to visit. I'm glad you included me in the email blast. Best of luck. Love, Arni"

Kefla Brown
25/04/2019 at 12:16pm

"Hi Amber!!"

Sue Esterman
25/04/2019 at 11:56am
Anonymous pledger
25/04/2019 at 9:51am
Sylvie Rabinovitch Bolstad
25/04/2019 at 9:37am

"Best of luck Amber! Drive the caravan to Hamilton. We are hungry !!"

Steven Brown
24/04/2019 at 7:09pm
Susanne Ames
24/04/2019 at 7:05pm

"I love Amber's tacos!"

Ariana Hitch
24/04/2019 at 6:57pm

"Tacos forever!"

Astrid Nicole
24/04/2019 at 6:17pm
Lissa Chong
24/04/2019 at 2:29pm
Rebecca Clare
24/04/2019 at 12:18am

"Good luck funding the caravan! Love your vegan tacos !! <3"

Nicole Braun
23/04/2019 at 10:36pm
Carlos
23/04/2019 at 10:32am

"Rock on Amber! "

Shannon Holdeman
22/04/2019 at 10:45am

"you go gurlfriend! <3"

Anonymous pledger
21/04/2019 at 4:31pm
Gino Lisignoli
19/04/2019 at 9:31pm
Mark Baker
19/04/2019 at 6:14pm
Rhona Un Real
17/04/2019 at 8:46pm
Angela Schlabitz
17/04/2019 at 6:46pm
Angela Schlabitz
17/04/2019 at 6:44pm
Laura
17/04/2019 at 3:48pm

"Cannot wait to try the chai!"

Laura
17/04/2019 at 3:45pm

"A Caravan would be amazing for you. You can focus on doing the mahi instead of battening down the hatches."

katia
17/04/2019 at 11:17am

"Go Taco Addicts!"

Anonymous pledger
16/04/2019 at 9:17pm

"Looking forward to vege jerk tacos from your new truck soon!"

Followers 3

Followers of Taco Addicts needs a Caravan

Taco Addicts Needs A Caravan

Project 2019-04-01 11:54:25 +1300

Taco Addicts is a small, local business serving taco lovers around Wellington. Mostly a one-woman show, the owner Amber Sturtz creates delicious Austin style, Tex-Mex tacos for you, right here in Wellington.

The emphasis is on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients available in New Zealand. We value environmental responsibility, composting, and recycling whenever possible. We like to think we’re a food truck (currently without the truck) with a difference!

 

What makes Taco Addicts different?

 

Amber comes from Austin, Texas, and made New Zealand her home in 2005. During her career in travel & tourism, she dreamed of opening a taco truck in Wellington. She retrained to become a chef; worked in cafes, catering and a hotel, and in 2016 Taco Addicts was born.

 

My hometown of Austin is often considered the most taco-obsessed city in the USA. Throw a rock and you will most likely hit a taqueria.  

 

A lot of people have this idea that Tex-Mex is yellow cheese and sour-cream, ground beef and crispy taco shells. This isn't what Tex-Mex is to me. It's fresh, it's delicious, it's inspired by Mexico but it uses what is locally available.

 

the Unnamed Taco: caramelised onions, tofu choriz-no, oregano potatoes, shredded cabbage, Vegan Taco Sauce, salsa roja   Perky Pork and the Shredded Cowboy: both made with free range NZ raised meat   Chicken Verde on a corn tortilla (all handmade)

 

Lots of people ask - how are Austin style tacos different from those in Mexico?

Texas is close to Mexico, with a large Hispanic and Latin population, so it draws a lot of influence from various regions of Mexico. However it has developed its own distinct taco culture. In Texas you can get a BBQ taco because Texans love BBQ. Also, tacos in Austin are often served on a flour tortilla.

 

Here in NZ, I’ve tried to create a similar vibe, with a menu that always offers at least two plant-based options, because I was raised mostly vegetarian and love playing with my vegetables.  With Canterbury-grown wheat available here in NZ, we hand-make all of our tortillas. At events, we offer the option of a plain flour, wholemeal flour, or a corn tortilla (gluten free, yo) to contain your choice of fillings. The flour tortillas we make can also be bought at Moore Wilsons, along with the Salsa Roja that we put on all tacos.

 

Everything is handmade – from the tortilla to the salsa; to the spice mix on the “choriz-no”; to the shredded brisket; to the vegan taco sauce. If we can’t make it, e.g. feta, we try and find a great supplier who can, e.g. Zany Zeus.  We support local. We try to find the best ingredients. We only use free-range meat. We offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and omnivore options.

 

I’ve never seen them before – Where is Taco Addicts?

 

Taco Addicts started by delivering ready to eat tacos to office workers during lunch times. Then we tried out the Underground Market below Frank Kitts Park. We moved to the Friday Night Market in Left Bank; as well as joining the Vegan Vault when it began two years ago. We set up at events such as Newtown Festival, Kapiti Food Fair, Aro Valley Fair, Cuba Dupa, Out in the Park, Karori Karnival, the Vegan Expo, etc.

 

Faces of Taco Addicts

 

Thumbs up for tacos   Vegan tacos, no mushrooms!  

More please

  Fellow Texan taco addicts   Regular customers make our day!
                 
Cuba Dupa 2018   Such happiness   More thumbs up for tacos  

Out in the Park 2018

  Vegan Vault tacos

 

Taco Addicts has been operating for 2½ years out of gazebos. This is exhausting! Tables, gazebos, weights, water, pans, burners, LPG bottles, Bain Maries, chilly bins full of food – all this needs to be loaded into a car, unloaded at the other side, set up, packed down, unloaded again. It can require two hours of set up and pack down at each event we do. Not to mention a breeze, the rain, the gale force winds that try and steal the gazebo while we’re trying to serve your tacos!

 

Thorndon Farmers Market   Sometimes it rains on us   Friday Night Market

 

Why do we want your money and where will it go?

 

We believe it’s time to make the move to bigger premises! We need a taco caravan! We want to keep most things the same – bring you the same awesome tacos, at the same wonderful events. However, with a caravan, we can bring you more tacos more often. We can offer Taco Tuesday lunch days around Wellington! We can save Amber’s body and wallet from hours of physio and acupuncture (leaving more time to make tacos)! We can create a job and hire a real person!

 

We have most of the equipment from under the gazebo. We need the caravan, as well as a bit of extra dosh to get it branded with the Taco Addicts slogan ‘seven days without a taco makes one weak’ as well as some colourful, eye-catching glitter (without the glitter because that is environmentally harmful). We’d also like to outfit the caravan with solar power to make it as energy efficient as possible.

 

Breakdown of your pledge money:

Caravan $12-15,000

Outfitting caravan for tacos $2000

Branding/wrap/painting $3000

Reward costs $3500

Solar panel outfit $3000 (stretch goal!)

(We know this doesn't add up - some of the above costs will come from us!)

 

In exchange for your hard earned cash, we’ve got 10-trip taco cards, ethically made aprons, take-home taco kits, salsa and tortillas, tote bags, the naming rights to new tacos, lunch delivery, cooking classes, wedding catering and more rewards to say THANKS WHANAU.

Comments

Hey! Thanks for checking out this project.

We haven't made any updates yet, follow us if you want to be notified when we do.

Claire AdeliePenguin Baker
27/04/2019 at 10:07pm

"Amber - you're hitting big goals and I'm a very proud friend! Can't wait to prevent oil spraying my clothes with a Taco Addicts apron! Woo!"

Joe Fecteau
27/04/2019 at 7:31pm

"Best of luck Amber!"

Anonymous pledger
27/04/2019 at 5:08pm

"May I please have wholemeal? Thanks. You're awesome Amber :-)"

Jess G Totten
27/04/2019 at 5:46am

"good luck!"

Ivy Arya
27/04/2019 at 1:53am

"What you are doing is amazing! I am so impressed, the people of NZ need your tacos. I wish there was a Taco Addicts here in Munich. Love,ivy"

Anonymous pledger
25/04/2019 at 9:35pm

"Love those tacos!"

Arni Litt
25/04/2019 at 2:43pm

"Go Girl! I've been watching you from afar and hope to visit. I'm glad you included me in the email blast. Best of luck. Love, Arni"

Kefla Brown
25/04/2019 at 12:16pm

"Hi Amber!!"

Sue Esterman
25/04/2019 at 11:56am
Anonymous pledger
25/04/2019 at 9:51am
Sylvie Rabinovitch Bolstad
25/04/2019 at 9:37am

"Best of luck Amber! Drive the caravan to Hamilton. We are hungry !!"

Steven Brown
24/04/2019 at 7:09pm
Susanne Ames
24/04/2019 at 7:05pm

"I love Amber's tacos!"

Ariana Hitch
24/04/2019 at 6:57pm

"Tacos forever!"

Astrid Nicole
24/04/2019 at 6:17pm
Lissa Chong
24/04/2019 at 2:29pm
Rebecca Clare
24/04/2019 at 12:18am

"Good luck funding the caravan! Love your vegan tacos !! <3"

Nicole Braun
23/04/2019 at 10:36pm
Carlos
23/04/2019 at 10:32am

"Rock on Amber! "

Shannon Holdeman
22/04/2019 at 10:45am

"you go gurlfriend! <3"

Anonymous pledger
21/04/2019 at 4:31pm
Gino Lisignoli
19/04/2019 at 9:31pm
Mark Baker
19/04/2019 at 6:14pm
Rhona Un Real
17/04/2019 at 8:46pm
Angela Schlabitz
17/04/2019 at 6:46pm
Angela Schlabitz
17/04/2019 at 6:44pm
Laura
17/04/2019 at 3:48pm

"Cannot wait to try the chai!"

Laura
17/04/2019 at 3:45pm

"A Caravan would be amazing for you. You can focus on doing the mahi instead of battening down the hatches."

katia
17/04/2019 at 11:17am

"Go Taco Addicts!"

Anonymous pledger
16/04/2019 at 9:17pm

"Looking forward to vege jerk tacos from your new truck soon!"

Followers of Taco Addicts needs a Caravan

This campaign was successful and got its funding on 13/05/2019 at 1:00 PM.