Big Zuu’s, Big Eats – when a star was born, we were here to help.
Check out how we designed and manufactured Big Zuu’s trailer which was used to film TV series “Big Zuu’s, Big Eats”.
Our team are used to working on film and TV projects, but usually our catering units are operating behind the scenes, keeping the stars and crew well fed and hydrated.
This project was a little different. Read on to learn about the specific requirements needed to produce a catering unit with WOW factor, that’s camera ready, practical for filming and easy to transport.
Big Zuu, who is the double winner of BAFTA awards 2022, needed a trailer which would be used for filming. Not just for show, this needed to be a fully functioning, mobile kitchen.
Key to the design was making the viewer of the show feel like they were ‘in the kitchen’ with Zuu.
Then there were the practical needs, the unit had to be easy to transport and accommodate the requirements of the film crew.
We built a vehicle that was convenient to film from, as well as cook. There was plenty of space for guests and TV crew.
What really made this stand out was the look and aesthetic. Zuu and his team were easy to recognise with the “out of this world” design, no matter where they were filming people instantly recognised them.
Cinematic lighting had to be installed to add depth and atmosphere when filming. We made sure it was securely fitted and fully working.
Let’s talk about the specific process and features
Our design team created 3D CAD model of the trailer, to help visualise available space and aid with any further changes.
We’ve built the trailer on heavy duty galvanised steel chassis for maintenance free, long term durability.
Phenolic timber floor boards have been used for flooring, those were pressure treated and covered with non-slip food safe vinyl flooring for additional safety.
We’ve built the trailer using GRP composite insulated body panels which provide excellent strength and prevent condensation build up on colder days.
This tri-axle trailer has a sufficient storage for gas bottles to the front of the trailer to allow easy access.
We fitted mechanical extraction at a high level to help pull heat out of the unit and and support the efficient running of the equipment.
We also fitted natural ventilation at high and low level, which was designed to pull fresh air into the unit.
All counter tops within the trailer were made of rolled edge stainless steel and real wood.
The stainless steel sink station was equipped with pumped hot and cold water system for washing facilities with jerry cans.
Additionally, we equipped the trailer with:
- Lincat 4 burner hob and oven combined range LPG unit – for the bulk of the product that needed to be cooked
- A large Griddle SMS 1200mm – 10mm steel plate
- Undercounter fridge and separate freezer – to safely store the raw ingredients
- Regulated hot and cold water system, 3 x sinks, water and waste system – for environmental and hygiene safety standards
- Lots of undercounter storage space
We also provided heavy duty hitch lock, wheel clamp and tracker to minimalize chances of theft.
The result
The team worked very hard to complete the trailer conversion on time. We received super positive feedback from the Zuu’s crew:
Our Client's Experience
I hope all is well with you and everyone at 4Sure.
Apologies it’s taken me this long to drop you an email, but I wanted to make sure I got in touch once we’d finished the series to say how much the everyone loved the new food truck and what a huge success it was!
It worked immaculately from start to finish, looked amazing throughout and allowed us to capture all the action really well. Not bad at all!!
Thanks again for yours and the team’s unrelenting and brilliant work throughout and thanks for always making sure we were happy, no matter how last minute or difficult a request might have been. Massively appreciated.
I do hope you’ve managed to catch some of Vandem 2.0 in its starring role over the last few weeks and with any luck we’ll be taking it back on the road for another series in the not-too-distant future.
All the very best,
