Vendors set to flock to awards
Joe Buncle
Street food vendors from across the south coast will flock to Portsmouth next month for a chance to be named the best in the UK.
Gunwharf Quays is partnering with The British Street Food Awards to host theSouthernheatsofthecompetition at the South Coast’s biggest outlet shopping destination for the third consecutive year. The event will span the Coronation bank holiday weekend, running from Saturday, May 6, to Monday, May 8. The competition will run from 12pm – 8pm on Saturday and Sunday, and 12pm – 6pm on Monday and will be held in the plaza at Gunwharf Quays.
Traders will sell their unique food to guests over the long weekend and battle to win the public vote before a winner is announced at the end of the three days. The winner will then head to the UK finals, with an aim of representing the UK at the grand finale of the European Street Food Awards in Germany. Next year, the winners will form a European team to take on the winners of the inaugural USA Street Food Awards.
British Street Food Awards founder Richard Johnson said: ‘We are very excited to return to Gunwharf Quays this year and showcase the region’s best street food traders for three days. We can’t wait to see the innovation that the upand-coming talent will bring to this year’s awards.’
New vendors for this year include Soul Pizza Truck, creators of hand-stretched logfired sourdough pizzas, along with Mr Noodle and Down d’Islands. Further finalists of the Southern heat include Portsmouth’s own Nosh Box, specialists in brunch burgers and speciality coffee roasted in Southsea.
Guests visiting the event can feast on cuisines from every part of the globe, from Cape Malay stews from The Potje Man, and high-end Filipino cuisine from Filili Eat, to Indian chaat from Oh Babu.
As well as game-changing mac and cheese from Mac Man and a venison burger guests won’t forget from The Gamekeeper.
GunwharfQuayscentredirector Yvonne Clay said: ‘We are delighted to once again be hostingtheBritishStreetFood Awards at Gunwharf Quays. It feels wonderful to be able to come together to celebrate the region’s talent with such a unique and exciting event over the bank holiday weekend - this year we even have a Portsmouth-based trader competing.’