Burger range helping new Camelon shop Marty's Munchies enjoy successful opening

Socially distanced queues have been developing outside Marty’s Munchies every day since the business began serving food – via a coronavirus-secure booth – just over a fortnight ago.

Owner Martin Letham has welcomed a steady stream of customers to his Main Street shop, which has already earned a reputation for the eye-catching burgers it sells.

While many village residents will be looking forward to having a McDonald’s drive-through, Mr Letham believes those who have tasted a Camelon Stack or Highlander Burger have something of a dilemma on their hands come meal times, such has been their popularity.

Customers who fancy testing their taste buds can try the spicy Timebomb Burger – comprising a six-inch burger with lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, chipotle sauce and added hot sauce – while the Highlander Burger, featuring two patties topped off with haggis mixed in a fiery sauce, is also proving popular.

Over 100 jobs created as Camelon fast food restaurant prepares to open its doors

As the name suggests, Marty’s Munchies also offers a variety of breakfast and lunchtime favourites, from full-scale fry-ups to toasties and chips and curry sauce.

Staff concede burgers hadn’t formed a large part of their plans until, that is, they began “flying out the door”.

Mr Letham, who previously ran a kitchen and bathroom fitting business, saw a gap in the market when the premises became available last year, and is pleased he made the decision to flip careers.

He said: “Things have been good. We’ve been busy enough with the burgers!

“I’d saved up to put a deposit on a house but in the current climate it wasn’t feasible. I thought I needed to invest the money I had and found out people were spending money on clothes or food during lockdown because they can’t go on holiday.

“It was primarily going to be breakfasts and lunches. We knocked up the burgers with brioche buns and realised they were popular because they’re made with good quality stuff.

“It evolved really quickly within the space of a week. We’ve had to open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at nighttime.

“We do big munchie boxes with two burgers, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, chicken wings, chips and dips and they’re flying out the door.

“We do breakfast boxes and rolls and fried egg, bacon, link and square sausage. We also do toasties, baguettes and chips and cheese.”

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-in-scotland-691-new-covid-cases-and-20-further-deaths-reported-on-wednesday-3160724

Although new to the food industry, Mr Letham is not naive enough to think he can drag customers away from Camelon’s newly opened McDonald’s drive-through.

Instead, he has confidence the prices at Marty’s Munchies, coupled with its locally sourced and freshly made produce, will stand it in good stead.

Mr Letham added: “We offer something different to McDonald’s.

“At the same time, you’re never going to compete with McDonald’s.

“I really believe we offer value for money. At McDonald’s you get a cheeseburger and you’ll be hungry an hour after it.

“If you come here and get a burger and chips, I can assure you you won’t be hungry afterwards.

“The feedback has been tremendous. We can only get better.”

Marty’s Munchies is open from 8am-2pm, Monday to Friday, and 4-10pm, Thursday-Sunday.

Call 07787782872 to place orders for delivery or collection.

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