THE re-opening of a fast food take-away truck on the outskirts of Barnard Castle has been welcomed with open arms by hungry wagon drivers.
When the coronavirus lockdown came into force, Carrie Kellett erred on the side of caution and closed up her Tasty Grill, which is a regular sight in the lay-by off Westwick Road which takes HGVs to and from the A66.
After an absence of four weeks she has resumed business – a move that has proved popular.
“I have been run off my feet. None of my customers have been fed for four weeks,” said Ms Kellett, who lives in Butterknowle.
“With being classed as a take-away, I could have stayed open, but for safety's sake I thought it would be better if I closed.”
However, having modified her truck to introduce screens similar to those which shield supermarket staff from customers, she is back behind the counter. She also put out cones to ensure customers stayed at least two metres apart and decided to open up again – not knowing quite what to expect.
“I can't believe how busy it's been. I had one driver from way down south on his way to Glaxo. Others had also come from quite far – I have got to look after them,” said Ms Kellett.
“I get a mixture of customers including truck drivers and between 10am and 11am the builders come.
“At the moment, the wagons have nowhere else to go and 80 per cent of my customers are wagons.”
Ms Kellett will celebrate her truck's third anniversary in June and as well as catering to the transport fraternity, she is a regular sight at events including Barnard Castle RUFC matches on the Demesnes, Clique charity activities such as It's A Knock-Out and town council functions including the Christmas lights switch-on.
She operates from the lay-by Monday to Friday, 7am to 1.30pm. Customers are asked to order in advance where possible on 07393 879309.
Ms Kellett can also be contacted via social media – search for her page on Facebook.
