Giving street cred to new food outlets

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InHIS weekend over 120 producers from across Scotland will be showcasing their food and drink at the Royal Highland Show. this Year of Food and Drink what’s on offer will be bigger and better than ever before. The lines of greasy burger vans are a distant memory and this weekend the eating options will be many and varied.

From Whitmuir Farm’s organic food truck to the Bothy serving Mey Selections beef and lamb in a mobile Highland cottage, the street food revolution will be evident at Ingliston. But what about the rest of the year?

From Ninja Buns to Crema Caravan, Glasgow and Edinburgh have seen an explosion in street food.

You will find them at outdoor events and farmers markets or by following their movements on social media. But south of the Border there is a new way to experience the street food scene.

Last week saw the launch of Dinerama. Based in a former bullion yard in East London, it offers a semipermanent home to 70 street food traders with space for up to a thousand happy customers.

The project is the brainchild of food and drink entrepreneurs Henry Dimbleby and Jonathan Downey. The pair believe London can sustain up to 15 street food markets as well as one giant permanent space where cooked food is sold alongside fresh produce.

Crowdfunding is being used to support the plan and what’s most interesting is the way it has appealed to established names in the food business.

Nigella, Jamie and Yotam Ottolenghi have already signed up, suggesting they see street food as the future rather than just a passing trend. And it’s not just a London thing. Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds all have their own street food ventures.

For the traders, it’s an opportunity to cook and serve without huge restaurant overheads and complex licensing. For customers, it’s a way to experience exciting and exotic food cheaper than can be delivered by chefs with big costs to cover.

Here in Scotland, the search should be on for a great location to bring together street food traders. We now have enough businesses to support it and surely the right space can’t be that hard to find.

Last weekend the Borders Book Festival brought together four street food stands. Even that small opportunity created a sense of excitement that gives a clue to what a bigger gathering could generate.

Despite the buzz, street food is always going to have it’s limits in Scotland. Weather alone means most will prefer to eat inside. And that’s just in summer.

But for those with a sense of adventure, street food offers a completely different eating experience and an organised collective venue with the right facilities in Scotland might just be what’s needed to beat the weather and take it to the masses.