Wandering through Ely market with my son last weekend we stumbled across a delightful food van called ‘Mrs Lekka’. We didn’t recognise it but simply couldn’t have a food van on Ely Market which we had not tried, so decided to give it a whirl!

Mrs Lekka is a South African & Portuguese fusion food van serving shawarmas with a choice between chicken or lamb. This is served with salad, hummus, tzatziki, and guacamole in pita bread.

Mrs Lekka works in partnership with ‘JPs Meats & More’ which is a local master craft butcher located in Littleport. This is a great sign that quality and care was taken into their ingredients.

I went for the lamb and my boy had the chicken. It came with a side of crisps which is always welcome but an unusual choice.

The tzatziki and the hummus really gave the shawarma an excellent texture. It was an absolute pleasure to devour. There is always a worry that the bread will disintegrate in your hands with a dish this succulent but the pita held together really well. Being on the market it was really easy to eat on the bench without making any mess. This is something you consider when looking at all the other great options on the market, as some places are messier than others and getting it right is a fine art.

The picture above really does not do the shawarma justice, mainly because it was made to be eaten on the go. There is a salad in the picture…it’s hidden under all the meat!

Speaking of the meat, the quality clearly showed. Working with JPs Meats & More was the right choice. It’s hard to make lamb work in a wrap or pita bread as it can be incredible to be chewy but the lamb here was very tender and easily manageable.

The best thing about the entire experience was not even the food but the wonderful team serving us. The husband and wife duo were full of positive energy. They were engaging, fun, and cracking jokes throughout. I’ve never seen anything like it and it only makes me want to go back for more. This is one of the key differences you will only find with small independent businesses.

My boy was particularly taken by the food at Mrs Lekka and has been bugging me to go back again. He really liked the fact that the team were engaging with him as well as myself but also thoroughly enjoyed the food in its own right. He’s been speaking a lot about it since and I’m inclined to share his enthusiasm.

Mrs Lekka is really great food, served by fun people, and offers something a little different. How often do you see Portuguese and African fusion food in Cambridgeshire?