Inside Out Catering: Richard McShane’s passion for excellence

Ethan Barlow gets an in-depth look at a Renfrewshire-based Inside Out Catering, a company making a splash across the nation 

Based in Johnstone, Inside Out Catering provides a wide range of cuisine across the country. The business was founded in 2019 after the success of the “Rollin Pig” street food.

The original name went hand in hand with the concept of the organisation in its early years. Once an oil rig chef, Richard McShane was inspired to provide the area and wider area with something he didn’t see enough of. Medieval BBQs and hog roasts were largely unfamiliar to Glasgow and the west and with inspiration from his late father, Richard wanted to change that. 

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“Looking at hog roast machines and it dawned on me that I hadn’t seen anyone in Renfrewshire or even Glasgow, cooking a whole pig,” he reflected. 

After identifying a gap in the market, Richard attempted to balance his work offshore with spending his free time on the pet project, leading to various event opportunities while away from his day-to-day work on the rigs. 

“I started doing street trading – farmer’s markets, food festivals and that sort of stuff in my time off. People were asking if I could go and do weddings.”

Despite hog roasts being the main idea behind the business, he understood that branching out to a wider range of selection was the natural next step and this led to the founding of Inside Out Catering. Within months, it quickly transitioned from a part-time hobby to a massive financial investment.

“So, we started Inside Out Catering in 2019, got the kitchen all kitted out, and started going into corporate and private events. Obviously, Covid came along and finished that. So, we opened the Rollin Pig BBQ and street food takeaway. It did well to start with, we even won awards for ‘Best Street Food in Scotland’ and ‘Best Takeaway in Renfrewshire’.” 

But, Richard lived an existence devoid of rest trying to balance the life of a chef offshore and Inside Out Catering and eventually one had to give way.

Richard McShane, photo by Jamie Hackett

“That was a hard decision,” Richard recalls. “Walking away from the broad shoulders of a big company. It was a decision I knew, regardless of my personal situation and family life, I was going to have to make if I wanted the business to succeed.

“It was scary. It went from being just a part-time thing that I had done in my time off, to then – this unit (kitchen) being a big financial investment. Plus, I kept all my savings and all the money generated from events saved for this.”

Now, Inside Out Catering offers a comprehensive menu selection from the original pillars of Richard’s idea to more generic and widely popular tastes. 

“We’ve got a really broad scope of cuisine. Last year, we got a wood-fire pizza oven for takeaways. We do everything.”

Despite widening the menu of the brand, Richard stressed that his and his father’s philosophy was to maintain the quality of the food and service even after expanding the menu. He stressed the help he’s had along the way has been massive in executing what they’re known for to the best possible standard.

“That was a big thing my dad was a believer in. That you put the quality first before you care about how much money it’s making. Of course, as long as you’re not losing, but you need to ensure you perform a quality job.”

Richard prides the Inside Out Catering brand on providing high-level food and drink services across Scotland and people have taken notice. Over the years, the family-led company has provided food for companies like Chivas Regal, Rolls Royce, Peugeot and more. Providing from Renfrewshire to St Andrews and the Isles.

“We cover all corners, all over Scotland. I’m sure there’s some brilliant caterers over on the east coast, yet they came over to the west coast. A couple we had provided food for in Islay were French.”

Richard admits the business has come a long way since his first idea but still has a deep-seated appreciation for the dish that started it all for them. When asked for his and the other chefs’ recommendations, he responded “Street food, BBQ and hog roast”.

Any food or drink you need, anywhere you need, Inside Out Catering can provide it with quality and exceptional service to boot. 

Inside Out Catering, Unit 6, 7 Russell Street, Johnstone PA5 8BZ, visit the website.