ABOUT TOWN: STREET FOOD WAREHOUSE MEETS SERO!
ABOUT TOWN: STREET FOOD WAREHOUSE MEETS SERO!
Unless you've been under a big, meaty rock for the past couple of years, you'll have noticed the spike in vegan and vegetarian options available in pretty much any place that you can grab some scran. Whether it's your local supermarket or your favourite food chain, there are more and more options popping up to cater for the rise in veggies and vegans across the country. A great thing too, we reckon. If you're making serious life changes to do your bit for mother earth, it's only right that there's a strong range of tasty options at your disposal.
As Cardiff's non-meat scene flourishes, we caught up with one of the pioneering pop-ups taking the city by storm - Sero. The brainchild of chef Chris Braham, Sero's menu isn't your average meat substitute; we're not talking bean burgers and mushroom bakes, here. No, Chris has perfected some tried and tested recipes that deliver the same meaty tastes and textures that you'd get in your standard chicken or beef burger, but instead are all vegan-friendly. Keen to hear more, we headed to Sero's latest pop-up event at The Blue Honey Night Café, where we managed to have a chat with the man behind the magic.
How did Sero start out?
At the time, there were next to no options in terms of vegan alternatives to chicken shop or kebab house-style food, unless you got a train to London or a flight to Berlin, or spent hours cooking it yourself at home. Most people our age visit these sorts of takeaways religiously, especially after a night out. It’s quick and easy food that tastes good and hits the spot, but sadly it’s never vegan and almost always uses meat from factory-farmed animals, so the idea for me was to create a version that tastes the same - and is just as convenient - but doesn’t contribute to any animal suffering whatsoever.
Why go vegan?
I'm about to get preachy two questions in, but it’s for the animals! Plenty of non-vegans have tried our food and say that if it was readily available they’d be more than happy to choose it over a meat version. It’s only small scale for now, but this still reduces the demand for animal products - which is a win for us.
How do you research which ingredients you'll use?
It took over a year of experimenting in my kitchen with loads of different ingredients. I scouted out some recipes now and then for inspiration, but it was mostly trial and error to be honest. It was actually really good fun, and it meant I was basically living off burgers and kebabs for a year!
Where are you currently serving your food (aside from Blue Honey, big ups)?
Aside from the fortnightly pop ups with Blue Honey every other Monday, we’re also in talks with Blanche Bakery to do a pop up with them, and we’ve also been approached by a few pubs but nothing is finalised yet.
Then we also do market stalls. We were at The Bone Yard’s last ever summer market before they moved, which was great fun! Our next one is at Cathays Community Centre for a Wintersoul Holistic & Well-being event. Again there’s a few more potential ones in the pipeline, but I won’t give details just yet.
What are your future plans for Sero?
If I can make a living whilst also helping to reduce the demand for animal products then I’ll be happy with that. The goal is to have our own takeaway shop, preferably in Cathays or Canton. Until then, we’ll continue to smash out as many pop ups and market events as we can! Our first ever pop up was only 6 months ago so it’s been really good progress so far. Hopefully it’ll continue and we’ll just keep building and growing!
Find Sero on Facebook here and Instagram here for news on their calendar of pop-ups.
WHY STREET FOOD IS A MUST-HAVE FOR YOUR NEXT CORPORATE EVENT
Why street food is a must-have for your next corporate event!
“Found us alright then? Oh yes, those tunnels are a nightmare – don’t want to get stuck around them come five o’clock! Ah, you came on the train. Yes, so expensive – and you’ll be lucky to get a seat at that time! So where are you based then? Oh really, yes I know it well. Myself - Swindon, for my sins! But don’t hold that against me, haha! Watch the game on the weekend?”
Street food for corporate events isn’t just delicious and cost-effective: it could also give your guests more to weave into their small talk than the travel situation or sport.
Whether you’re organising a team-building session, a milestone celebration, entertaining clients, partners or stakeholders or having an off-site summit, street food is certainly a lot more enticing to your attendees than some sad sandwiches or cold chicken goujons which have been sat under cling film since 7am and are well past their crispy best. Plus, it’ll give some much-needed motivation to the less-keen amongst your staff to power through the morning’s branding exercise. Whether they’re staff or clients, good food quite simply means happy guests.
The Street Food Warehouse team has extensive experience in bringing top-notch food to locations across the country as part of its summer festival calendar, and now you can hire our team for your corporate event too. We’ve got a huge contact book in our arsenal of trusted (and delicious) street food vendors from across the UK who will give your attendees something to get stuck into: it’ll even wow those notoriously hard-to-please individuals from the IT department (no mean feat), not to mention getting the marketing lot busy with their Instagram stories.
Whether it’s slow-roasted US barbecue from Spicer’s Meat Wagon or Moroccan flatbreads; to flame-baked pizza or banging banh mi, Street Food Warehouse can make it happen. We’ll pick up the hard work of organising your food so you don’t have to: so from reaching out to vendors to making sure they’re on-site, briefed and prepared to wow your attendees, we’ve got you covered.
All you need to do is tell us your budget per head, what food you require – plus what you don’t fancy – and where you want us to be. With that information, we can tailor a bespoke package perfectly suited to your business’s requirements. And if you’re looking for some liquid refreshments for when the event is over, or to grease the wheels of networking, we can even supply a bar too.
Drop us a line today to start your enquiry and find out how easy it is to make street food the star attraction at your next corporate event.
THINGS GOT LIT AT THIS YEAR'S SOPHIAWORKS!
THINGS GOT LIT AT THIS YEAR'S SOPHIAWORKS!
What. A. Night.
A sell-out fireworks show on Bonfire Night at the wonderful Sophia Gardens was an absolute blast for all involved, and we can't wait for next year already. The display was top notch, the atmosphere vibrant and the food and drinks entirely on point. Were you lucky enough to nab a ticket and join the party?
Blessed with dry weather all day and night - a rarity, amongst weeks of torrential Welsh rain - 4,000 people made the pilgrimage to the Sophia Gardens grounds where a festival atmosphere emanated far and wide with rides, DJs, and of course, street food! Within minutes of the doors opening, our foodie friends at Spicer's Meat Wagon, The Grubshed and Orgazmic Milkshake welcomed hordes of hungry customers to their food stands in what was a manic few hours for all involved. The whole gang were all on their finest form, with plenty of 'oooo's and 'aaaa's heard before the fireworks even began.
Spicer's menu was popping as per, with the Asian Pork Buns and Beef Briskets sending whiz, pops and bangs across the venue. Similarly, The Grubshed's outrageous chip delights were cause for hefty queues, and the Orgazmic Milkshake boys were shifting hot waffles like nobody's business. Our trusty sister company, Pop Up Bar Hire Co., also smashed it, delivering drinks for the little and the large at record rates with a host of smiley staff on hand. With thousands of satisfied attendees fed and watered, the incredible fireworks display put on by Sophia Gardens really underpinned what was a wonderfully successful night for all involved. Same again next year?
For small and large scale events (from firework displays to birthdays and weddings!) the Street Food Warehouse can curate the perfect foodie experience for you. Get in touch today.
WHAT'S ON THE MENU AT SOPHIAWORKS II THIS BONFIRE NIGHT?
WHAT'S ON THE MENU AT SOPHIAWORKS II THIS BONFIRE NIGHT?
The cold evening draws in. The smokey air fills you with a kiddy-like anticipation. Amongst thousands of others you await the explosions in the sky. It's one of the nicest nights of the year. And yet...
And yet. You're a bit peckish. The smokey air isn't only down to the mist and the sparklers. It's down to the meaty BBQ cooking up a storm. And there's chips. Loaded 'fries', in fact, with all sorts of delicious toppings. And warm, gooey desserts, too. 'Well,' you think. 'Why not?'
And why not indeed? It's an evening of fun, of joy, of smiles - as good a time as any to treat you and the family to some of the incredible food on offer at this year's Sophiaworks II!
With the explosions in the sky, it's apt that there's ample choice for explosions of taste to match this Bonfire Night. After the success of last year's event at the cricket ground of Sophia Gardens, we're buzzing to be on board with the second outing of Sophiaworks, and to celebrate we've brought some of our favourite street food vendors with us to feed you and the family. But what's on the menu? What can you tuck into beneath the fireworks?
Gorgeously wholesome food awaits you. First up, it's Spicer's Meat Wagon. Longtime BBQ royalty, Spicer's are known far and wide for their cheffing talents, with their huge Barbie and love of meats. If it's a hearty chomp you're after, look no further -their menu is shaping up to be an absolute showstopper; Brisket Buns, Bacon & Cheese Burgers, Hot and Chilli Dogs and Asian Pulled Pork Buns make your main course decision seriously tough but cost effective nonetheless, with dishes costing around the £6 mark. Cheeky additional offerings of Homemade Caramel Apples and Cinder Toffee for afters are also highly recommended. Mouth-watering.
The Grubshed are also in town with us. Purveyors of exquisitely loaded skin-on fries, they've got a menu that'll make your eye pop. Perfect for tucking into on a cold evening beneath the stars, there's all sorts on offer from the Hereford-based chip wizards. Toppings include Beef Brisket, Four Cheese, Veggie Mexican and Chilli con Carne. Great as a sharer, these are also clocking in between £2.50 - £8. Our recommendation is a tray of loaded fries and something meaty from Spicer's, so you can split 'em down the middle. Or perhaps not quite down the middle, depending on who you're sharing with!
Dessert comes from our Brummy friends who will be serving all sorts of sweet and gooey goodness from their Orgazmic Hot Chocolate & Waffle stand. And what are they serving? Care to hazard a guess?
All sorts of toppings with the waffles, as well as warm cookie dough and milkshakes, means there are some serious dessert decisions to be made. See the picture above for the sort of toppings you'll be choosing from. Nutella-dipped, Oreo-covered, Ferrero Roche-crushed. Wowza. And from £2.50 you've got a bargain afters on your hands.
Don't forget the Pop Up Bar Hire Co. are also on hand with an army of lovely bartenders to keep your drinks filled all evening beneath the fireworks. If it's a crisp pint you're after, a cocktail or perhaps something mulled, their experienced team will be on hand to sort you out. They're fab - that's why we have them at our summer street food festivals!
Have you got your tickets to Sophiaworks II on 5th November yet? Get them here.