GREENFIELD — Alex Giguere has fond memories of growing up on his grandfather’s Shelburne orchard, planting his own garden and subsisting on the food produced by neighboring farms.
Today, those memories, and the philosophy his family lives by, are the inspiration for Orchard Chef, Giguere’s new food truck that opened last week in the parking lot of the Webb building at 76 Hope St. The business, which primarily serves salads and wraps, specializes in offering simple, fresh foods using homemade sauce and local ingredients whenever possible.
“It’s not high-end, but there is more excitement than you would see at an average sandwich shop,” Giguere said.
Some of the local ingredients used so far include flour processed in Holyoke and honey from The Shelburne Honey Co. Giguere plans to use seasonal vegetables once harvesting is underway.
Giguere started on the culinary path at a young age, attending Franklin County Technical School’s culinary program. Eventually, he went to Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island where he earned an associate’s degree in culinary arts. He then worked at The Blue Rock restaurant in Shelburne Falls, followed by a job in the dining hall at Amherst College.
For the past seven years, Giguere has worked at the Mount Holyoke College dining hall. Considering he has summers off, he can focus on his own food ventures. Giguere dipped his toe in the food truck business last summer, when he briefly ran Green River Bao near the Greenfield Common. However, he said he quickly became overwhelmed with the venture and decided to close after a couple weeks.
“I started it too hard, too fast,” he said. The business, which started under a tent, had to have everything cooked in a restaurant during its off days and required too much transportation of goods to operate smoothly.
While preparing to operate Green River Bao, Giguere bought a food truck from a company in California. Because of supply chain issues, however, the food truck arrived after he had already closed the bao business.
This time, Giguere said he has created a more manageable operation and concept, which he hopes can be successful for the season.
“The concept is a little easier than last time, but the product is still great,” he said.
As for his advice to new business owners, he suggests keeping any eye on your mental health. He said there are lots of variables and surprise expenses, and rolling with the punches can be difficult.
The off-the-beaten-path location, down Hope Street, came to be Orchard Chef’s home due to the accessibility of the Webb building, Giguere said. The building allows for an electricity hook-up, handicap-accessible bathrooms and extra storage space.
“It is a little out of the way,” Giguere said, “but it has everything I need.”
However, he noted that, since the setup is mobile, he may move the business to the new skate park or the Greenfield Common in the future. He feels the new skate park and library are giving a new life to Greenfield that may attract more businesses and food trucks to open.
Aside from his regular open hours — 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday — Giguere plans to cater events with his food truck. He will be selling food with his friend who owns Arizona Pizza Co. at the Country in the Country Music Fest at the Young Men’s Club of Hadley on Saturday, June 24.
He advises interested customers to check the business website, orchardchef.com, or its Facebook page, facebook.com/OrchardChef, for updates on open hours and specials. The menu includes a variety of meat, vegan and vegetarian options.
Reach Bella Levavi
at 413-930-4579 or
blevavi@recorder.com.