A musician with a deeply ingrained love of curry is causing a stir in two small Suffolk villages with his Purple People Eater!

East Anglian Daily Times: Paul Cage in Bildeston with his mobile Curry Business, The Purple People Eater.Paul Cage in Bildeston with his mobile Curry Business, The Purple People Eater.

Paul Cage started the pop-up curry shop, which visits Bildeston and Hitcham every week, only three months ago and is finding fame and fortune on the road with his culinary prowess.

Paul’s used to touring, having been an entertainer for many years across the country, and when he saw the perfect van for sale in Colchester, he knew he simply had to pursue his passion for food.

“It’s always been my plan B. I always thought one day I’d get a little burger van, but I wanted to do curries too. Most musicians will tell you they love a curry on the road –we used to have so many curry parties.”

The Purple People Eater (named for a song from the 70s) started her life at equestrian events and with Paul providing catering at industrial estates in Bury St Edmunds, but he decided to trial out curries too and set-up shop outside Hitcham Village Hall – and the villagers won’t let him leave.

“It went mad. There were 20 to 30 cars piling in,” he says of the first curry evening, which is now a regular occasion in Hitcham, with Paul cooking on Friday nights outside the Post Office, and also on Tuesday evenings in the square at Bildeston.

While the menu isn’t huge, everything is homemade (using meat from Green Barn at Ringshall) and prepared from scratch by the keen cook – and it’s pretty inexpensive too.

“It’s all fresh. I make my own curry gravy and grind my own fresh garlic – that’s the aroma that comes off throughout the village. It takes a good day to prepare for one event. I do lamb curry, which is lovely, and prawn curry with huge jumbo king prawns. I love all curries and hopefully as time goes on I will extend the menu a bit.”

Paul even makes his own onion bhajis, which are not to be missed.

“Everyone’s so positive and they think this is a great idea – they’ve never seen a mobile curry house.”

The Purple People Eater is open from 5pm to 8pm on the days mentioned above – but don’t forget it’s first come, first served.