‘I know we griddle our burritos but this is ridiculous’ say quick-thinking Hitchin heroes after burrito trailer goes up in flames

Matt Bean and Jeff Pridmore's Cantina Carnitas trailer is engulfed in flames (Image: Archant)

A quick-thinking pair from a Hitchin street food business narrowly averted a serious roadside tragedy after a fire engulfed their burrito trailer.

Matt Bean and Jeff Pridmore – who run the successful Mexican street food company Cantina Carnitas – were travelling back from catering for a private event on Saturday night when disaster struck.

The business partners were driving back to Hitchin on the A12 after serving their mouth-watering Mexican fayre to a party in Colchester when they saw sparks fly from the underneath of their trailer.

They believed the sparks were coming from a flat tyre, but as the duo pulled over onto the hard shoulder they quickly realised the sparks had caught fire to the underside of their distinctive burrito trailer.

The pair acted immediately to unhitch the trailer attached to their van and to remove highly flammable gas bottles from the area with only moments to spare.

Thankfully they managed to successfully complete the feats – before a fireball engulfed the trailer only a matter of yards from where they were standing.

Matt, co-owner of the award-winning business that proudly advertises they griddle their burritos, told the Comet: “We were slightly shell-shocked watching our trailer go up in flames in front of our very eyes.

“To watch the trailer in flames on the hard shoulder was devastating, but the bottom line is no one was hurt and we acted sharpish to ensure Jeff and I – as well as the van and gas bottles – were well away from the fire.

“We are absolutely gutted to lose our little trailer that we’ve served thousands of burritos and had so many amazing memories out of over the last five years, but we can’t praise the emergency services enough for their prompt actions.”

Firefighters were on the scene in a matter of minutes, quickly shutting both lanes of the busy A12 for two hours while fire crew put out the blazing trailer.

A relieved Matt deadpanned afterwards: “I know we griddle our burritos but this is ridiculous.”

For more information on Cantina Carnitas see @cantinacarnitas on Twitter and Instagram.