A former racing driver now runs a booming pickle business – from an old ambulance he drunkenly bought on eBay.
Matt Harris was awarded a scholarship to race in NASCAR in the US; he thought he was on the cusp of a professional motorsport career.
But when the 2008 recession hit, sponsorship collapsed, and Harris completed just eight laps before his dream abruptly ended.
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After racing fell through, Matt – who runs Pickle Project – used his year in America to travel the deep south.
He fell in love with barbecue, fried chicken and the craftsmanship behind them, from the materials used in smokers to the weight and heat retention of cast-iron pans.
Back in the UK, he took a job in media sales, but the pull of food didn’t go away.
One night, after a few drinks, he impulsively bought an old ambulance on eBay and converted it into a street-food truck, as reported by Founder Insights.
He has now created Britain’s first ultrasound pickles, and they are going down a treat.
The condiments are created using a technique used by barmen.
After watching bartenders use ultrasound to rapidly infuse spirits, he bought an ultrasound generator online and began experimenting in his kitchen.
Ultrasound waves create microscopic bubbles in liquid, a process called cavitation.
When these bubbles collapse, they release high-energy microbursts that break down the cell walls of herbs and spices, accelerating the release of aromatic compounds.
And drive those flavours deeper into the vegetable being pickled.
“I always approached racing holistically,” he said.
“You need to understand how the engineers think, how the car works, and how countless variables interact.
“Food works the same way – every component affects the final performance.
“I can’t help but analyse and tweak until it’s perfect.”
His breakthrough came with chip buffalo wings, a Chipotle–buffalo hybrid that won Best Wings in London at Wingfest.
This success led him to found Thunderbird, now a 15-site fried chicken chain.
But he couldn’t find a pickle good enough to accompany his chicken.
“Everything on the market was too sweet, too soft or too one-dimensional,” he said.
“I needed something with backbone – crunch, clarity, and proper flavour.
“Once I understood how cavitation could pull out flavours you don’t normally access, I realised we could make pickles that tasted more pickily than anything on the market,” Matt added.
“It’s a hugely complicated process, but that’s me.
“I’m constantly experimenting with ingredients and flavours to make the best product possible and coming up with new flavour variants.”
What began as an experiment has grown into a thriving production operation.
Alongside its restaurant partners and independent delis, the company has now secured a retail listing with Ocado – its first major entry into mainstream grocery.
