The embers of the final British Street Food Awards (BSFA) heat in Northern Ireland on 3 September are still glowing, but the top drawer street food vendors are about to land at the Rainbow Arena, Digbeth, Birmingham, on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September, and contest the final cook-off to be named the nation’s best.
As proud BSFA sponsors, we’ll be there to take in the thrills and spills (hopefully not too many!) We’ve checked out the tastes and trends on offer from the finalists – and here’s a taster of what to expect:
Griddle me this
Premium burgers, one of street food’s key trends, are set for a grilling by the judges, with some hot competition. Cheeky Burger’s speciality is restaurant-quality gourmet patties and homemade relishes that will satisfy any burger addict. Eat the Farm flips an American-style burger, but sources all the ingredients just a stone’s throw from their Kentish homeland. Street food has cemented the burger’s kingpin status, with burgers featuring strongly as a distinct menu segment right across the casual dining and premium pub market, according to a recent MCA* report.
Fire it up
The hugely popular barbecue trend shows no sign of dying down, and if anything is stoking up. Its territory of the great outdoors makes barbecue a natural partner to street food, and there are signs that the trend is moving indoors. MCA hailed barbecue as a notable growing dish of 2016, up half a percent to account for 2.4% of meals ordered in chain restaurants∗. And barbecue fans are spoiled for choice at the BSFA. Smokin’ Lotus will be treating you to a riot of Asian flavours and smoky barbecue notes of the American deep South. While Man Meat Fire sets a high bar for cooking with fire with their gastro cooking, and will be topping it off with Santa Maria’s sliced green jalapeňos for an extra kick.
Street food for the grown-ups
One of this summer’s most striking street food stories comes from Singapore, where two hawker market vendors bagged a prized Michelin star. And UK street food at the BSFA is reaching for the heights of gastronomy too. Finalist Shoot the Bull has a high end Michelin pedigree, and shows that street food doesn’t mean skimping on kitchen skills – their signature steak sandwich is a wonder. Meanwhile, at Café Môr they’ve taken Pembrokeshire lobster out of its traditional fine dining room confines to serve it up as a street food treat.
Street food is the trend that can’t be ignored – and we’ve just released our latest insight on its continuing influence on the eating out market in the UK. Find out what consumers want from street food, and how you can bring street food flavours to your kitchen by downloading our report, "What's next in street food?"
To find out more about the British Street Food Awards and buy your tickets, visit: www.britishstreetfood.co.uk/festival, and check them out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @BritStreetFood. To see our live updates from the the British Street Food Awards, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @SantaMariaFSUK.
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* MCA: Menu Food Trends 2016
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