Kool Runnings

Kool Runnings isn’t just a food truck — it’s a cornerstone of the Old Trafford community. Parked beside the Sharon Pentecostal Church on Upper Chorlton Road, its billows of jerk smoke and the steady queue of devotees speak volumes. For over 25 years, owner Aval Saunders has been grilling, frying and serving up some of the best Caribbean food in the north, with no fanfare, just flavour and respect.

Born on a farm in Clarendon, Jamaica, Aval came to the UK on a holiday and ended up staying. After saving every penny, he launched Kool Runnings in 1998, ditching security work and takeaway kitchens for a van and his own recipes. Over time, the truck grew from a one-man show selling fried chicken into a family-run, cult-favourite kitchen-on-wheels turning out jerk, oxtail, salt fish fritters, handmade patties, mac and cheese, and everything in between.

Everything is cooked fresh, the patties prepared daily, and once the food’s gone, that’s it. Even with rising costs, Aval refuses to cut corners on quality or take advantage of loyal customers, some of whom he’s fed since they were toddlers.

The van itself is modest — but the impact is anything but. Families, bodybuilders, lawyers, musicians, and famous faces all make the pilgrimage for plates of smoky jerk chicken and comforting brown stew. Kool Runnings doesn’t need gimmicks. It’s powered by family, heritage, and food that hits exactly how it’s supposed to. As long as the grill’s hot and the queue’s forming, Manchester’s got something truly special ticking away under the hood of a humble truck.