Caravan made

Flip

Silvia Cabra and Javi Ruz, both twenty-somethings from Molins de Rei, are the owners and chefs behind this awesome caravan from the 1970s turned mobile restaurant. They trained together in the prestigious culinary school Hofmann – Javi in the kitchen and Silvia in the bakery – and, until recently, Javi was working at Celler de Can Roca.

They both wanted to open a business together. One day Javi, who’s naturally impulsive, found himself surfing a website with antique French caravans (meaning theirs is unique in Spain). He seized the opportunity and decided to begin a mobile restaurant. “We wanted to offer sandwiches with seasonal ingredients, but give them a twist with haute cuisine combinations.” And so it began.

This season they’re serving us ginger pork with apple compote; a spectacular grilled goat cheese sandwich with pears, honey and arugula; one with marinated baked chicken and raisins, spinach and a homemade curry sauce; a falafel burger served on bread from Viena with lettuce, carrot and yogurt sauce with dill and mint. If you crave something sweet to finish things off, Silvia bakes some amazing cinnamon and cardamom rolls. “Even though we serve sandwiches, we’re always looking for food that’s healthy, organic and fresh, without unnecessary calories or grease.” The fruits and vegetables they use come from the garden of Laura Giménez of “La Casita” and the bread from the Artisan Oven of Molins de Rei and Pizca Good Bakes; a small artisan organic bakery in Sitges that makes sourdough bread with stone mills. They also make their own infusions with citrus, ginger and rosemary and with green tea and mint.

“The response from people is very good. They take photos and are always surprised by the quality of the food, considering we’re in a vehicle.”

The Food Truck movement, well established in North America, France and Asia, seems to be arriving at our city even though, unfortunately, the licenses in Spain are still unregulated. For now, you can try Caravan’s delicacies at fairs, events, markets or festivals. “We would love to be anywhere in Barcelona or other cities so that everyone could try our sandwiches.” And hopefully one day that will be the case: unlimited mobility.