From the streets of Cairo to a cathedral in London, 2011 was a year that will be remembered largely for its revolutions and rebellions. Always evolving rapidly, the gastronomic world was not to be left behind. The start of a new year is the classic time to reflect on what has come to pass and what is still to come, and those of us who live life on a fork’s edge have plenty of tasty developments to mull over.
With English wine now more or less an established entity, 2011 became the year of the microbrewery. Scottish-based Brew Dog grab a lot of the headlines – be sure to venture out and check out their new bar in Camden – but closer to home the London Fields Brewery and Redchurch Brewery both bring the pleasures of craft beer to our doorstep. Redchurch’s rich Hoxton Stout is particularly well suited to the grimmer side of the calendar, while the crisp London Fields Lager is one to get us dreaming of sunny days lounging by the lido. It’s a trend that’s likely to continue well into 2012 and beyond.
But for many of us with ever expanding waistlines, 2011 will be most remembered as the year of the mobile food vendor. Street food in less pretentious terms, it’s a movement that can be traced to the beginning of the century and the cult surrounding a car park in Peckham and Yianni Papoustis’ Meatwagon. Last year, the London scene came of age. Of course, there’s a still a fair way to go before we can honestly claim to match somewhere like New York in terms of widespread quality and diversity, but our capital seems to be rapidly rising to the challenge.
Many quality vendors are now loosely organised under the eat.st collective umbrella, and if London has become the heart of the British street food scene, then Hackney is surely its pulse. Authentic wood-fired pizzas? Local wunderkinds Homeslice have it covered, or at least they did until their doughy end-of-year success has led them to pursue pop-up opportunities further afield, including an exciting, in-the-works project on Portobello Road. Burgers that put even Papousits’ frequently masterful creations to shame? Check, courtesy of Lucky Chip, who are following in the Meatwagon’s famed footsteps by slinging daily out of a pub, The Seabright Arms, in neighbouring E2. Clean-off-the-bone ribs translated into a portable lunch? Mark ‘The Ribman’ Gevaux will happily be your saviour if you venture to nearby Brick Lane on a Sunday.
Many quality vendors are now loosely organised under the eat.st collective umbrella, and if London has become the heart of the British street food scene, then Hackney is surely its pulse. Authentic wood-fired pizzas? Local wunderkinds Homeslice have it covered, or at least they did until their doughy end-of-year success has led them to pursue pop-up opportunities further afield, including an exciting, in-the-works project on Portobello Road. Burgers that put even Papousits’ frequently masterful creations to shame? Check, courtesy of Lucky Chip, who are following in the Meatwagon’s famed footsteps by slinging daily out of a pub, The Seabright Arms, in neighbouring E2. Clean-off-the-bone ribs translated into a portable lunch? Mark ‘The Ribman’ Gevaux will happily be your saviour if you venture to nearby Brick Lane on a Sunday.
Geveaux says 2011 was a fantastic year for him, with The Long Table night market in Dalston, the success of his ‘Holy Fuck’ hot sauce, and joining up with eat.st being particular highlights. He draws attention to Hackney’s adventurous culture and relative affordability as two key reasons why street food has enjoyed such success in the borough: “One of the reasons street food has thrived in Hackney and not Kensington is that I can't see the people of Kensington sitting in a car park eating food next to a burning oil drum. They are missing out! Also, I should think the rents would price many of us out. I know it would me. I work on such a tight profit margin my prices would have to go up so much I would be embarrassed!”
The rise of quality street food in London is going a long way to countering popular misconceptions about American-style dining, as anyone who has ever sampled proper Yankee fare will tell you it’s a far cry from what’s peddled at McDonald’s and TGI Friday’s. Even the humble hot dog – usually linked to dodgy vendors in Leicester Square and even dodgier tummies - has experienced a renaissance on Old Street in the hands of the permanently cheerful Abiye and his gleaming Big Apple Hot Dog cart.
Like Britain’s discovery of craft beer, it’s highly unlikely to be just a temporary phenomenon. Echoing Gevaux, Homeslice’s George Whiting cites Hackney’s creative spirit as an important factor in the rise of its street food scene, drawing attention to his former Netil Market neighbours as a prime example: “Hackney has a young, creative culture at the moment and I think the street food culture mirrors that. Lucky Chip is a great example, creating new amazing burgers each week. I think the people of Hackney really appreciate that kind of creative effort.”
He’s equally adamant about the importance of the London’s growing street food culture: “Not only does it give talented people an opportunity to do their own thing without breaking the bank, but it helps rejuvenate otherwise disused areas. It introduces more vibrancy to the streets. People make better use of public space and have more food choices.” Whiting adds that the Olympics are an exciting prospect for local food vendors: “The Olympics open up some opportunities and hopefully those marketing it will realize the amazing street food culture growing in London.”
Despite their home-made ovens currently being fired in pastures new, it’s clear that the borough of Hackney and its unique cultural landscape holds a special significance to Whiting and the rest of the Homeslice crew: “We didn’t like having to leave Netil. We have downscaled so we have time to organise a new trailer and other opportunities. We hope to be back in Hackney by the end of March all going well."
Driven by the passion of people like Whiting and Gevaux for the food they serve and for the borough they frequently sling in, the future of street food in Hackney looks bright indeed. A weekend stroll down another of 2011’s biggest success stories, the Chatsworth Road market, showcases the full spectrum of local street eats: everything from the gourmet ethical offerings at Vegan Peasant to the warming pho and inspired fusion baguettes at longstanding Hackney favourites Bahnmi11 speaks to the recent resurgence in quality mobile dining.
Indeed, last year the movement enjoyed a number of triumphs, some of which are so unlikely they could almost be termed coups. Upmarket City and West End steakhouse Hawksmoor not only serve Big Apple hot dogs in their restaurants, they recently traded suits for skinny jeans and set up shop at The Long Table in Dalston, and Abiye’s wares also feature at man-of-the-moment Russell Norman’s new joint, Mishkins. Incidentally, The Long Table is partly the brainchild of acclaimed Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes, whose temporary supper club, The Loft Project, enjoyed considerable success last year on the Kingsland Road and will return in April of this year at a new location. It seems the upper echelons of the culinary world aren’t just taking note of Hackney, they’re actively buying in.
To be sure, night markets are a trend for gastronomes to watch in 2012. But the evolution of London’s street food scene, with Hackney one if its epicentres, is already worth toasting as February rolls on and we renew our national pastime of conspicuous boozing. Only a few years ago, it seemed an unlikely occurrence, the pipedream of a few mad men and women willing to take a punt on people deserting the omnipresent shady burger van for a taste of the real deal. Happen it did, however, and at just the right time: it’s the ultimate example of recession proof food and one of the purest personifications of casual dining. Then again, if sherry can morph from Nan’s afternoon pick-me-up into a hip tipple in the space of twelve months, maybe it’s not so surprising after all…
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