Burgers in the Midlands Thai in Birmingham
Chris Hardy turned a passion for eating street food into his career. After years supporting other vendors as a passionate advocate of food markets, he quit his job in an aerospace factory and founded Meat Meets Bun in 2021. He now travels around the Midlands serving food around dierent markets.
Chris says, ‘I was a potwash at 13 and worked my way up to head chef by my mid-20s. But, I fell out of love with professional kitchens.
‘Dad worked at the Rolls Royce aerospace factory for 40 years and I joined. While I was there, I started an Instagram account about food and found street food – people cooking the most incredible meals in tiny gazebos. That was my calling. Through that I started doing shifts, learning how the industry worked.
‘I was brought up on frozen burgers, but then I had this one incredible burger and it changed everything. It’s all about the beef – I use ex-dairy, native breed beef with the most incredible butteriness.
‘It’s hard keeping the work-life balance. For a while, I was prepping at home, and if I hadn’t sorted a prep kitchen, my wife would probably be filing for divorce by now.’
I had this one incredible burger that changed everything – it’s all about the beef
Sai Deethwa is the third generation of her family to cook street food. Born in Thailand and brought up in Britain, She serves her family’s recipes at Buddha Belly in Birmingham with her husband James and friend Loui.
Sai says, ‘My family has always cooked street food, here and in Thailand. Mum does it in Gloucestershire and my sister in London – it’s in our veins.
‘Mum began her business more than 20 years ago at farmers’ markets, cooking curries, son-in-law eggs (deep-fried eggs with a sweet & sour sauce and fried shallots) and chicken satay – showcasing Thai street food when it wasn’t readily available here.
‘In Thailand, street food is an amenity. A lot of older people don’t cook, so they buy food from my aunty to take home. ‘I was focused on going to university and became a social worker. But, I was obsessed with food and James told me to apply to Masterchef. I only lasted one round, but it made me realise I wanted to work in food, so we launched Buddha Belly together.
‘I love the social aspect of street food; catching up with friends and eating well-executed dishes that are cooked with passion. It’s accessible and fun – sometimes the food becomes too serious with fine dining.
‘It’s intense when it’s busy, but so gratifying. The worst thing is bad weather – food can go to waste after you’ve spent hours putting love into it.’