Nicci Bruyere, originally from New Zealand, has opened a St Cyrus food truck serving coffees and cakes.
Nicsnax can be found at St Cyrus beach, beside the Old Fishing Station.
Nicci, alongside her niece, Charlotte Walker, is offering a waste-free hot drink to folk enjoying a walk along the beach.
On their opening weekend, the duo served around 100 coffees.
These are all served in cups that they rent out to customers in their own mini deposit return scheme.
“We’re very heavy on zero customer waste,” says Nicci.
“We turned people away over the weekend because they didn’t like that we didn’t have takeaway cups.
“I’d say 95% of people have really supported it, and we’ve had some really good feedback on social media and to our face.
“But you’re always going to have a couple of people who require more convincing.”
Nicsnax: What can you get at St Cyrus food truck?
Nicci told The Press and Journal she is “still on cloud nine” after their successful opening weekend.
“Everybody is delighted, because there’s nothing else down here,” she says.
“My son came home from school, and he said that his science teacher had mentioned a new food truck that had opened up.
“And he was able to say that’s his mum.
“That makes me very proud.”
Her 19-year-old niece, Charlotte, adds: “It’s been quite exciting to see people’s reactions when they walk past.
“They have been stopping dead in their tracks.”
The food truck serves hot drinks like tea, plus coffee from Arbroath-based roastery Sacred Grounds, as well as chocolate and strawberry milk.
Their bakes, supplied by Gannets in Laurencekirk, include traybakes like a Mars bar slice, with vegan and gluten-free options.
How does the ‘rent and return’ scheme work?
The “rent and return” scheme at Nicsnax is used for all of their packaging, Nicci tells me.
The cups cost £2, as do the tins for cakes. Customers get the money back when they return the packaging.
And those who come with their own cup can enjoy a 5% off their coffee at the St Cyrus spot.
“We have no serviettes, we have muslin cloths,” adds Nicci.
“We don’t give receipts, we email these to customers.
“And we have metal teaspoons that we wash.”
Nicci, who has a background in IT, is developing an app that would handle the scheme.
This would mean that customers don’t have to pay a deposit, but only pay a transaction fee if they don’t return the cup.
“I think we all need to start making small changes wherever we can,” she adds.
“We plan to work with some local schools, to see if we can get some of their artwork up about picking up litter, and get them visiting.
“So hopefully this kind of rent and return scheme becomes more mainstream.”
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