James Patrice on the return of Battle of the Food Trucks

As year two of Battle of The Meals Vehicles commences, host James Patrice tells Andrea Byrne why he admires the avenue foods vendors so considerably and how he is adapting to owning a co-host this time spherical.

“The show really shines a mild on our tenacity as a country, ” says Television set presenter and social influencer James Patrice. He is talking about the new season of Struggle of The Food Trucks and how the pandemic sparked innovation in individuals who have been inclined and able to adapt, up-skill or re-skill to make a dwelling.

“So lots of of these chefs might have been full-time in places to eat, and experienced no alternate for operate so they established up a food items truck. Some of them even had a diverse occupation, and Covid designed them want to try one thing various.”

“What is excellent about the foodstuff vans is you are receiving awesome food from amazing chefs who have so a great deal skill and talent and you’re getting it for a portion of the value you’d spend in a restaurant.”

For the uninitiated, Fight of The Food Vans, which returns for a next collection on the RTÉ Player this 7 days, charts the efforts of six connoisseur cell food items firms as they navigate a series of troubles set by the two judges (previous head chef of Chapter Just one Eric Matthews and Gráinne Mullins, owner of Grá Chocolates) in a bid to acquire the coveted title of ‘Ireland’s Greatest Foodstuff Truck’ and generate absent with €5,000.

In this series, James is joined by comic Justine Stafford as co-presenter. (‘They didn’t believe in you on your possess James,” she jokes in the opening episode). “Justine and I sort of understood each individual other from Twitter, as you do,” James explains when we satisfy more than Zoom.

“I’d normally been a admirer of her things. She’s incredibly amusing. Her a person-liners are good. We seriously hit it off she’s pretty laid-back, extremely chilled. She was inquiring me for advice and I reported the main factor to recall is, we’re on the contestants’ aspect. We are fundamentally an extension of the viewers. When I 1st got asked to existing the clearly show, I explained, but positive I haven’t a clue about food stuff. I really don’t know what a shiitake mushroom seems to be like, and they reported, that is the point. It is terrific to have Justine there, because it is a larger demonstrate with a extended run-time. Additional time for more drama,” he teases, before supplying some phrases of warning, “If you observe Fight of the Foodstuff Vans, make positive you’ve both had your meal or your evening meal is on your lap, and prepare to sense hugely insufficient about your have cooking. If there are ever any excess bits heading, Justine and I are normally observed hovering with forks. The food stuff definitely is out of this environment.”

Acquiring risen to prominence on Snapchat and Instagram, and a lot more a short while ago TikTok (“I truly feel like a bit of a geriatric on it”), James Patrice, true name James Butler, is a single of the handful of Irish influencers to correctly transition from world wide web ‘likes’ to multimedia presenter. He is a normal reporter on RTÉ’s Today show and Dancing With the Stars.

His extremely have chat demonstrate, he tells me, is the final vocation intention. The extremely affable James hasn’t abandoned his roots both and is however really lively on social media. His comedian posts, often involving his alter ego ‘Malahide Woman’ and roping in his have mother and father and sister, are a welcome antidote to the relentless onslaught of poor information tales.

“I do endeavour to be definitely constructive,” he suggests. “I deal with my Instagram as a place which is energetic and uplifting. There is adequate distress in the environment with no me including to it.” I notify him that I enjoy Malahide Female, who is rarely observed without a complete encounter of make-up and shoes she cannot walk in. “It started as a skit, and I set a actual physical visual appearance on her two years ago. From there, she grew quite lengthy legs.”

James’ mom has become a movie star in her possess appropriate. “I am really fortunate. They are pretty supportive. They have normally inspired me to do what I want. I try to remember just after college or university, I was performing in retail – I hated it – and following 3 several years, my Mum and Dad explained, existence is far too quick, give social media a go, do a presenting study course, do all these issues that you delight in. I was lucky that I could, I was living at household, continue to am, I’ll be 50 just before they can get rid of me. Not every person has that.”

Followers of James will know that he recently grew to become a godfather, just after his sister Vanessa gave birth to a wonderful little lady Áine. He describes it as his most effective part to day. “We’re so obsessed with her. It actually modifications the full relatives dynamic. Everything just becomes about her. If my sister Vanessa will come in on her have, we’re all desperately let down. She has develop into our every thing,” he states, admitting that some day, he’d enjoy a relatives of his own.

“Oh I would love to. In Eire, I’ll require to promote a kidney or remortgage the property that I never still individual to have a little one, but it is certainly a thing I want. I need to have to recreate the Von Trapps.”