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Our favourite street food gems
IT’S been a tough year for street food vans – with so many outdoor events and festivals cancelled – and it’s seen many brilliant vendors pulling their wheels and businesses off the road. But, in spite of that, Scotland still has a tantalising and exciting street food offering, which can be found at farmers’ markets, parks, beach promenades – in short, the kind of outdoor locations where we love to hang out at this time of year.
No article on the best vendors can go without a mention of some of the great hubs that are host to them, such as Stockbridge Market and The Pitt in Edinburgh and The Big Feed in Glasgow.
Such is the wonder of Scottish street food that foodie Ailidh Forlan even wrote a book on the subject, titled Street Food Scotland: A Journey of Stories and Recipes to Inspire. Some of the entries in this list are based on tips she gave us.
“I think lots of traders are waiting for events and markets to properly reopen,” she says, “so that there’s enough footfall. That said, there’s no reason why street food can’t really thrive at the moment.”
1. SALT AND PINE, TENTSMUIR, LEUCHARS
In the heart of the Tentsmuir Forest in Fife, nestled in pine trees and sand dunes, is a converted shipping container where you can pick up crepes (sweet or savoury), salads, barista coffee and even homemade crème brûlée. Open seven days a week from 9.30am to 4pm weekdays and until 5pm on weekends, formerly called The Crepe Shack, it’s right beside the Kinshaldy car park and the play park – so kids can have a romp before enjoying their Nutella-filled treat.
Check out saltandpine.co.uk
2. THE CHEESY TOAST SHACK, ST ANDREWS AND KINGSBARNS
What could be more satisfying than toasties, oozing with the gooiest of melted cheese on the beach? This family-run business sells a simple menu of grilled cheese sandwiches, fries and soft drinks – and with original fillings, like its classic mac and cheese. The shack is on East Sands, St Andrews, seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm, and also at Kingsbarns, where it’s open every day apart from Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The queues can be big, so be prepared to wait on busy beach days.
3. MOSKITO SPANISH BITES, CUSTOMS HOUSE, LEITH
This converted vintage horsebox is currently to be found in Customs
House from Thursdays to Sundays, serving up a great range of tapas, bocadillos, chorizo rolls and other Spanish eats. It’s an ideal stop-off after taking a wander round the nearby Leith Market. Pick up lunch and dine at a nearby table by the Water of Leith. Or start the day with one of its signature breakfast rolls and a Williams and Johnson coffee. Open Thursdays from 9am to 3pm and Friday to Sunday from 10am till 4pm. Check its Facebook or Instagram for more details.
4. THE BUFFALO TRUCK, THE PITT, EDINBURGH
Mention the Buffalo Truck and we have to talk about the hip street food venue that hosts it, The Pitt. Housed in an industrial yard, it’s one of those places where street food properly comes to life and offers a full social experience, with music – and it’s child- and dog-friendly. It’s also where the Scottish Street Food Awards take place this June.
The Buffalo Truck is one of its stars, and a frequent winner of such awards, highly recommended by Forlan. It’s a provider of buttermilk chicken that is crisp and zingy and paired with inventive sauces and pickles. Try its Buffalo, with blue cheese and hot sauce. The Pitt is open on Friday evenings, on Saturdays from 12pm to 10pm and Sundays from 12pm to 7pm.
5. HEATHER STREET FOOD, V&A, DUNDEE
Fresh donuts, toasted bagels, artisan gelato and award-winning coffee are the core lures of this pop-up run by street food entrepreneurs Chris Heather and Melodie Paterson outside the V&A. As befits anything associated with the design museum, the vending units, a three-wheeled Piaggi van and a converted horsebox, look cool. But also the delight is partly the fillings. Bagels such as the Pavarotti, packed with mozzarella and plum tomatoes, fresh basil, pesto and balsamic glaze , donuts oozing with Nutella or lemon curd. No wonder there’s often quite a queue. Open 10am-6pm, seven days a week.
6. THE SEAFOOD SHACK, ULLAPOOL
Fenella Renwick and Kirsty Scobie used to watch all the fishing boats coming and going out of Ullapool and felt that what the town needed was a place selling cooked shellfish. What they created was a seafood shack with a definite street food vibe, their signature dish a fresh haddock tempura wrap.
Much of the fish is sourced locally –
the oysters from a local farm, langoustines and lobsters from Scobie’s partner a fisherman. It’s a menu that is genuinely adventurous – sweet and sour tom yum with creel-caught langoustines, smoked haddock, pea and chorizo with macaroni cheese. These dishes are so good they even published a recipe book. Open seven days a week 12pm-6pm. Recommended by Forlan.
7. CAFÉ FLOOR, JUPITER ARTLAND
Half the joy of this food outlet is how it looks – the vintage Silver Streak van housing it is almost a work of art itself, serving up coffees, teas, sandwiches, ice creams and sweet treats. It’s well worth picking up a bite there while you’re visiting this wonderful art park and checking out the new commission by the incredible Rachel Maclean (see Arts page 42) – her first foray into outdoor art, combining architecture, sculpture and animation.
8. THE CARAVAN OF COURAGE, BIG FEED, GLASGOW, AND OTHER LOCATIONS
This caravan declares it’s all about “courageous” plant-based food – a bold vegan offering. Grilled falafel flatbreads, chunky salads and a vegan junk food menu that does all the classics – vegan dogs, cheeseburgers, cheesy potatoes and haggis brioche buns. Located at the Big Feed, Scotland’s biggest indoor street food market, on Govan Road, Glasgow, when it opens on May 22. Check out its Facebook for other locations. Heaven for vegans.
9. FLAMING INDULGENCE, AYR
Rhona Qualm’s Mobile Wood Fired Kitchen providing artisan pizzas with delicious organic toppings – for instance the Tuscan Sausage Feast with passata, mozzarella, spicy Tuscan sausage, pepperoni, chorizo and chicken with a drizzle of either BBQ, chipotle or chimichurri. Forlan highly recommends it, saying: “She’s the kind of woman that ditches canned sweetcorn in favour of foraged wild garlic and also pays above average for her vegetables, including curly kale, fresh basil and courgette, from the Auchincruive walled garden.” Locations include The Oval, Prestwick, on Wednesdays, Ayr Racecourse View on Thursdays and Maidens on Fridays – but check its Facebook to confirm timings and preorder. www.flamingindulgence.co.uk
10. GALLUS STREETFOOD, AT THE BIG FEED, GLASGOW
Described as “the latest challenger to Glasgow’s food porn crown”. Taking a Scottish slant on what it calls “the go-to street foods of the world”, Gallus Streetfood has a menu that includes a pizza with Gregg’s sausage roll as a topping, another with the “Full Scottish” piled over it and the Gallus burger, stuffed with patty, double cheese, burger sauce, crispy onions and salad.
Its rainbow buns – some swirling with colours like a Hairy Coo painting – give the food a psychedelic feel. And what kid (young or old) could resist one of its ice cream pieces, dressed to look like Muppet characters? It has so much going on, including its own store in Yoker and a recent residence at Chandlers, Clydebank, that it’s worth checking its Facebook for details on its movements.
At the Big Feed on Govan Road, Glasgow, which opens on May 22.