Age: 22
At the tender age of just 22, Guy Wade can already add the titles of founder and director to his CV. Since May 2016 Guy has ran Screaming Peacock, a quirky street food company serving top quality wild venison burgers at events across Scotland.
“I always knew I wanted to have my own business one day. It’s something I am really passionate about, so I decided to combine this with my dad’s love for game and deer stalking and create something unique which highlights the quality and provenance of Scottish venison.”
Having previously worked in the agricultural sector, Guy knows first-hand how good Scottish game is and how sought after it is in the market.
“I wanted to do something different to stand out from the crowd. A mobile food unit seemed like a great idea as not only did it mean we could start small and work our way up, it meant we could get out and about around Scotland and meet new people. I get a real buzz from it.”
Based in Fife, Guy uses top-quality, Highland venison to make his burgers. He also jumped on a real foodie-trend by making his mobile food truck available for hire for everything from weddings and festivals to private across Scotland. Plus, with a name like Screaming Peacock, Guy knows his brand will set him apart from the competition.
“We can cater for all kinds of events and offer something really unique. Our trailer is fully kitted out and can offer a fun addition to lots of different events.”
As a young person in the industry Guy has become a passionate advocate for promoting Scottish produce, particularly with changing attitudes towards food.
“As a country I think our outlook on food is starting to change from fast but low quality, to locally-sourced, sustainable and higher quality food. I think it’s important to show consumers that there are other ways to eat and buy food. Smaller companies rising up through the ranks are embracing things like social media which, in turn, is really helpful in spreading the word about sustainable local sourcing.”
The future is looking bright for Guy and Screaming Peacock but he is combining his plans to diversify and develop his business with a more specific aim.
“My goal for the future is to have a broader range of high quality food options available and to be able to travel more widely across the country catering for different types of events.
“Sadly the demand for game is dangerously low in Scotland so I would want to see overall consumption increase. I want to help drive this because, if not, we risk affecting the wider country sports industry.”
