Cameron Anderson and Tatum Helm, the already-successful Camcooks4u catering business owners, are taking their culinary skills on the road with a food truck in 2024. Named Basil’s, after their daughter, the couple aims to make fine food affordable.
Basil’s will take the form of a retrofitted black school bus offering an assortment of traditional food truck items and healthy and vegan options, emphasizing locally sourced ingredients.
Helm said customers can expect the typical food truck fare with a scratch-made twist. Those seeking something on the lighter side can enjoy soups, salads, sandwiches, and power bowls comprised of rice or quinoa with proteins, mixed greens, and other toppings.
“Our big game plan is to make scratch food available and affordable, which we think will be a game changer in the food truck realm,” Anderson said. “We’re excited to offer Owensboro something a little different and make fancy food affordable.”
After completing culinary school and cooking in some prestigious restaurants, Anderson moved home in 2020 and launched the private catering business with his girlfriend, Helm, in 2022.
“I’ve been doing center-of-the-plate fine dining for years, and I’m ready to try something new,” he said. “We launched the catering business last year, and this seems like the next logical step. We’re excited, eager, nervous, and scared, but we’re ready to pour all we’ve learned into this food truck.”
Helm said Basil’s would maintain daily hours, posting a location schedule on Sundays and a menu for the week on Mondays. They’ll also have a text messaging service to send out information.
The menu will also feature family meals for up to 4, which is already popular for Camcooks4u.
When accessible, Basil’s is partnering with local farmers to source every ingredient from the community. Helm and Anderson want the menu to be as farm-to-table-centric as possible.
Anderson traces his passion for cooking to a childhood spent in his late Nana Norma Waller’s kitchen. Much like his Nana, he takes great pride in creating everything from scratch.
But, more than anything, Anderson likes how food brings people together.
“What intrigued me was how her food brought our family togetherness, happiness, and love,” he said. “It’s special when you can sit with your family and smile over food. I can be on the other end now and see families and friends converse while enjoying my food. It’s the best feeling as a chef.”
Helm’s late father was a chef. She and Anderson look forward to creating a family atmosphere with the new food truck.
“We’re very family-oriented, and we want everyone to enjoy and experience our food,” Helm said. “We can’t wait to bring our knowledge together to create something different and offer high-end food to the masses. We’re eager to launch in January.”
Visit Basil’s new Facebook page here to learn more.
