The owners of the St James Quarter's latest street food have revealed how a 'lightbulb' moment led them to serving up fresh Scottish lobster rolls in the heart of Edinburgh.
The Jolly Lobster joined a whole host of other food trucks on Little Street, outside the shopping centre at the beginning of this year.
And they've already received rave reviews for serving up Scottish lobster and wild Highland venison surf and turf-style gourmet street food.
Sourcing the lobster from local fisherman and meat from family butchers, owners Monika and Earl converted an old horse box to make their dream a reality.
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And, sharing their story with Edinburgh Live, the couple told of how a trip to the hairdressers led them to ditch the hustle and bustle of working in finance in favour of setting up their own street food truck.
Monika explained: "I met Earl when I was working in finance in the city of London, having transferred from Edinburgh. Then I decided to bring him back to Edinburgh, I'm Lithuanian originally, and Earl, as a true London foodie, was fascinated with the great produce Scotland has.
"We live in Newhaven in Edinburgh which is by the sea and he was thrilled with the local fishmongers and butchers and local fishermen catching lobsters with their creels."
"Unfortunately we find the food in Edinburgh can be a hit or a miss and most casual eateries don't actually utilise local, fresh produce apart from expensive restaurants.
"Earl came back from the barbers one day and said that while he was sitting in the chair he had a lightbulb moment - converting a horse box and turning local seafood and meat into delicious dishes. I have to say I wasn't sure at the beginning but he was determined!
"He went to Kelso to buy a used horse box from a local farmer and the rest was history. We both had no experience just determination and not being afraid to work."
And Monika feels the Jolly Lobster's success stems from its unique offering, believing they're the place in the Capital to produce delicious lobster tolls.
She said: "As far as we are aware we are the only spot in the city of Edinburgh selling them - can you believe it?!
"There was one other place but due to the seasonal nature of this type of produce they no longer sell them.
"We sell lobster rolls all year round and yes we only use Scottish Lobster caught in Scotland!
"We only opened at the end of January 2022. It has been hard especially now we have a baby girl - I gave birth just before we opened! - but we still believe in our passion and keep going!
The Jolly Lobster is located on Little Street at St James Quarter. To find out more and to see more of their mouthwatering dishes, you can visit them on Instagram here.
