Tortilla launches its first branch in Cambridge

The California-style Mexican food chain, which first opened in London in 2007, will be giving away free meals today (Friday) from 12-2pm.

Situated on Market Hill in the city centre, the branch is the first to open in Cambridge.

Following today's free lunch giveaway, throughout the opening week, Tortilla - which specialises in burritos and tacos - will be offering buy one get one free on all mains, followed by double loyalty points for the rest of the month on all orders made with a registered loyalty card.

Tortilla, which now operates in 41 locations across the UK, offers fresh and interesting flavours with healthy options and a fully customisable menu, so that customers can enjoy burritos, tacos, nachos, quesadillas and more, exactly how they like them.

On Thursday (October 3), the restaurant held a special launch party.

I opted for the 'tres tacos' and from a selection of chicken, beef, pulled pork, chorizo and jackfruit (the vegetarian option), I went for one chicken, one beef and one jackfruit.

I was impressed with the selection of toppings on offer. Along with the inevitable guacamole, sour cream and grated cheese, there was also a choice of four different salsas, which ranged from mild to very spicy, and lime.

An autumn/winter salsa - a 'raw slaw' - launches on Monday.

The food was very good and I very much enjoyed the combination of flavours - although I'd probably ask for more lime next time.

The fullness of my tacos - diners can choose as much or as little as they want from the selection of toppings - meant that I made a bit of a mess, but thankfully I didn't spill any of it on my clothes.

I'd never tried jackfruit before and I did quite like it - but I think I'll stick to meat and chicken next time.

After I'd finished, I spoke to Megan Burton-Brown, head of marketing for Tortilla, who explained that the firm has been wanting to open a branch in Cambridge for quite a while.

"Cambridge is the perfect city for us because our three key customers are students, professionals and tourists - and Cambridge is full of those," she notes.

"Cambridge has been on our 'favourites' list for a long time, but the big thing for us with opening any new site is finding the perfect location. So when this spot came up, we were super happy."

On what makes Tortilla an attractive dining option, Megan says: "Tortilla is Californian Mexican and we were founded by a Californian couple, Brandon and Jennifer Stephens.

"They moved over to London and just couldn't find the same burrito and taco joints like back in the Mission District [in San Francisco].

"So they launched it and opened their first one in 2007 and it's been growing ever since.

"What makes it unique is we're branded as 'fast-casual' so we don't see ourselves as a soulless chain or franchise.

"It's the quick service that you'd get from a fast food chain, but it's the quality of food and quality of service that you'd get from a casual dining restaurant."

Megan continues: "We're a very affordable price point, we're perfect for grab-and-go, perfect for students, and everything that we make is made fresh on-site every single day."