Cheesy Toast Shack owner bounces back after Daily Mail 'knickers in twist' comments on outfit
There are also exciting happenings in the offing, from the team - Kate Carter-Larg and Sam Larg - of The Cheesy Toast Shack on St Andrews Beach.
The couple has recently announced that they'll be involved in establishing Mill Market, Dundee's first permanent Scottish street food market.
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Hide AdThis excellent news comes shortly after the duo appeared on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen, and unwittingly caused a stir, when the Daily Mail ran with stories about Kate's choice of outfit.
However, they've made lemonade with tabloid lemons. Their current Instagram biography reads, "Should be famous for toasties, but famous for exposing arms on national TV" and they've whipped up celebratory merchandise, including branded boob tubes.
We spoke to Kate about their plans.
Tell us about Dundee's first street food market
It's something we’ve spoken about for years, but it wasn't until entrepreneurs Andy Prior and Casey Mudie got in contact with us regarding their vision and the amazing space they'd identified that we felt this was something we could passionately be involved in.
The market will be located in one of the city's old disused jute mills, Tay Works on Brown Street. It maintains some of its original features, and is incredibly beautiful.
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Hide AdOur planning has been submitted, and there is still work to be done, so we would hope that we would be ready to launch in the second half of 2025.


What vendors do you hope to attract?
Sam and I have worked at countless street food markets, as well as private wedding hire, Glastonbury and at one point being the largest independent trader at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, so we've met such a talented array of traders. We're excited to open this up to those who can cover a wide range of dietary requirements, and showcase global food. We also want to use the knowledge we’ve gained to offer guidance. Street food changed our lives for the better and we want to help others do the same.
Is it something the city was lacking?
Street food markets are already popular over much of Europe, and we have some in the bigger Scottish cities, but it would be fantastic to bring that to Dundee. There are plenty of well established vendors here who would benefit, as it offers such a unique dining experience. There are also plenty of talented cooks who may not have the means to get their food out there in a traditional restaurant way, with all the overheads. We're excited to help put the Dundee food scene on the map.
What has the feedback been like so far?
So many people are commenting ‘just what Dundee needs!’. Eating and drinking is a social occasion. We love the idea of groups of young people meeting up with pals, families with small children getting together, and all ages uniting. Dundee has an amazing music scene with so much talent, so it'll be great to have the opportunity to showcase this, too. We have been inundated with traders asking about potential pitches, which goes to show that it's not just the public getting excited. We also want the venue to be accessible for those who want to use it as a diverse meeting space/for popup events and a community hub.
How has the Cheesy Toast Shack evolved?
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Hide AdWhen we started back in 2015, it was Sam and I, in a tiny 2 x 3 trailer, making sandwiches to order at a quiet beach in Fife. We towed this trailer to every event we could get a pitch at, whether it be a farmer's market, wedding, local gala day, a graduation party, The Scottish Street Food Awards, Glastonbury or the Fringe. As our name was more widely recognised, our popularity grew. We had to upscale quickly, completely change how we prepped in order to keep up with queues, and purchase better equipment. We eventually were invited to apply for the tender at our main hub in St Andrews, which has allowed us to offer a more extensive menu. We now employ 15 staff - more during summer - and are open every day, bar Christmas Day. Testament to what an amazing career street food can be.


Who are your favourite customers?
We have our lovely older ladies who come down daily for the same order, or the guys who work at the university building across the street. We are so grateful that they always return. However, we're equally as grateful to the customers who travel from different parts of the UK to try our toasties, even if it's just a one off.
Tell us about your Saturday Kitchen appearance
Sam and I had THE best time at Saturday Kitchen. Everyone from the presenters to the kitchen team were all so friendly. It was amazing to get our tiny independent business on BBC One at 10am on a Saturday, and to sit at the same table as Sir Trevor McDonald. Who would have thought, when we first bought that trailer and only had a couple of grand in savings to start this all up, we'd end up here. Sadly, a handful of people on X took offence to the fact I had my shoulders and arms out, and a female journalist from the Daily Mail stirred it into a big story, which then created a huge uproar within the Daily Mail Online's comments section. There were thousands of comments from men, and even more so woefully, other women, who were getting their knickers in a real twist.
Fortunately, I have thick skin, and still maintain that I'd wear the same style of outfit on TV again. I dress like that all the time, and I am certainly never going to change to appeal to disgruntled keyboard warriors. I got dressed that morning thinking ‘I want to look like me, and feel confident’ and that's what I did. If you allow people to tear you down, and to have them telling you what you can and can't wear, then what was the point in our grandmothers burning their bras? But I must highlight how, as much as I can take it and come out unscathed, others may not. Online harassment is not okay. The biggest takeaway from it all was the outpouring of love. I've had people, total strangers, emailing me, calling me, stopping me in the street, to tell me they are in total support, and how absolutely ridiculous the article was in the first place, to which I wholeheartedly agree. I guess I should thank the trolls, as our online following has increased by thousands, and the shop is busier than ever. They executed a huge PR campaign for me, and I didn't have to spend a penny!
Is having a large social media presence helpful?
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Hide AdWhen we started, I asked all our friends and family to follow the page and share it. We built it up slowly and now, as much as we're still a small Instagram account in the grand scheme of things, I'd say we're doing alright for a sandwich shop in North East Fife. Back in the day, you'd need to pay for advertising and PR, whereas now we have the tools at our fingertips. As much as social media is bad in many ways, when it comes to being able to self promote it's a magic tool.
For updates, see Instagram @thecheesytoastshack
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