Lady in the Wild Serves Farm-to-Table Fare From a Repurposed Camper

Spearheaded by chef Alice Waters, the farm-to-table movement first emerged in the U.S. during the early 1970s with the opening of Chez Panisse, where Waters featured fresh, locally grown ingredients through a seasonal menu. Since that time, restaurants and food establishments across the country have used the term to call attention to their use of locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients, though it's rarely used when talking about food trucks.

But Camille Shoemaker is out to change that with her recently launched truck (or rather, camper), Lady in the Wild, which serves fresh and healthy Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.

Shoemaker, a Colorado native, grew up in Denver and attended South High School. She developed a passion for food and attended culinary school at the now-closed Denver location of Johnson & Wales University, where she focused on pastry. After graduating in 2013, she made a move out of her home state. "I actually moved to New York immediately," Shoemaker explains. "I went to NYU and got my master's in food studies. So, the more academia side of food — the history, culture and food systems."

While attending NYU, she worked various jobs. "I was in the city for two and a half years and then lived upstate, where I worked on a farm and also brewed beer," Shoemaker says. That experience led her back to Colorado to pursue work in the beer industry. "I got into brewing more and worked at Vine Street Pub as a brewer for about two years, and then I moved to the mountains, and same thing," she continues. "I stayed in the industry but kind of got back into food. I actually taught at Colorado Mountain College in their recreational food program, teaching people about a specific cuisine or skill." During that time, she also worked as a bartender at Outer Range Brewing Company in Frisco. When it expanded and added a coffee shop, Shoemaker began making pastries for it.
That led to work as a private chef. "I was in the Silverthorne area and started right before the pandemic, so it didn't take off for a while. But then I did a lot of elopements and a lot of delivery when things started to open. ... I didn't have anything fancy; it was just like, you can hire me, a small private chef business," she explains.

After living in the mountains for roughly three and half years, she decided to move back to Denver in May. "There wasn't really a scene in Denver of healthy food trucks or really Mediterranean farm-to-table style food trucks. ... I knew I wanted to get into that niche and continue it," Shoemaker recalls.

But getting into the food-truck business was a whole new venture. "It's a totally different game. I had to buy a big truck and then renovate the trailer. I have insurance and I have employees and I have a commissary. I won't make income for a few years," she admits.

Even though it's a daunting task, she is continuing to learn by trial and error while staying true to her focus. "There's not a ton of women-owned food trucks in Denver, and I wanted to be women-focused, and I wanted it to be something different, just because the camper is different. I wanted to be able to bring elevated food to places that may not otherwise have that option," Shoemaker says.

The menu changes with the seasons. "I'm not trying to do anything traditional. It's inspired; it's seasonal; it's fresh. But it's really trying to bring this whole palette to your plate, where you're having all this healthy, flavorful food, but it's coming out of a 13-foot camper," she explains.
One of Lady in the Wild's specialties and fan favorites is the housemade hummus, which you can buy packaged to go. The current offerings include beet, lemon dill, and curry butternut squash. But Shoemaker's favorite dish is the mezze platter, because it offers "a taste of everything," she notes, including all the hummus flavors plus baba ganoush, pickled and fresh veggies, quinoa salad and pita.

While she enjoys the freedom and creativity to make whatever food she wants, Shoemaker admits that it's not always easy. "Owning your own business is a struggle every day, but at the end of the day, I work for myself, and the people who work for me are all my friends. And this camper used to be my sister's. ... I've lived [in Denver] pretty much my whole life. So just having this [business] and being able to share my food and my passion with everyone is great," she says.

Check out Lady in the Wild on Instagram for more information about where to find it — but note that Shoemaker plans to take January and February off. In the meantime, you may spot her at her Safta, where she cooks a few nights a week.