CARDIFF STREET FOOD SCENE
As a UK-wide street food events brand, we love working with traders from all walks of life on every corner of the UK. However... we're also Cardiff through and though, and LOVE to wave our Welsh flag and support the local businesses that are on our doorstep. We've delved into which local traders are still able to work through lockdown and the new traders on the block. Based in Cardiff and looking for a new foodie experience? Look no further, take this as your official guide to the Cardiff street food scene.
NEW TRADERS ON THE BLOCK
There’s nothing we love more than discovering new, epic street food traders in our locality. Throughout the pandemic, it has brought more and more street food to Cardiff. With working from and furlough contuing, people are finding themselves with more time on their hands than ever before and are turning their passions into local businesses.
Dough DOJO
One after our own hearts, a member of Street Food Warehouse event staff has only gone and set up a Napoli style, artisan vegan pizza biz straight from his kitchen! Taking orders for Saturday evenings only over on Dough DOJO’s Instagram, let’s go and show Joe some Cardiff love!
Hero Cubano
Sandwich HEROS. Having only just launched last weekend, we already know these guys will be an epic addition to the Cardiff street food scene. Hero Cubano is currently open for collection on Saturdays from the Grangetown area. Offering up range of mouth-watering Cuban pork sandwiches and grilled cheeses, what more of a treat could you want on a wintery Saturday afternoon?!
Wing Stack
'Home of the Wings'... bringing us incredible fried chicken with vegan and veggie alternatives (Broccoli tenders are now a thing and look INSANE). The success of Wing Stack's street food unit at Corporation Yard last year allowed them to open up shop at Clearwater Parade, Roath just before Christmas 2020! Despite yet being able to open up as a restaurant, these guys are thriving in Cardiff with their collection options.
GET YOUR FOODIE FIX IN LOCKDOWN
Luckily for everyone, Cardiff street food traders are finding new ways of adapting to the changing restrictions and are still able to offer their epic food through local doorstop deliveries and collections.
Mr. Croquewich
One of our long standing traders and a cult favourite at Swansea Street Food Festival, Mr. Croquewich have recently launched their Saturday delivery service across Cardiff and the surrounding areas. Perfectly packed and ready for you to grill at home, the team have adapted their classic grilled cheese sandwiches to now be a cheesey treat for a Saturday afternoon in lockdown.
Matsudai Ramen
From starting out dabbling with cooking ramen in his kitchen, to the pandemic putting kickstarting their online shop of at home Ramen kits, it's fair to say Matsudai Ramen has taken the Cardiff foodie scene to a new level, having been featured in a recent Wales Online article. They now deliver their Ramen kits across the UK.
Neighbourhood Kitchen
A new venue featuring boutique bedrooms and a rotating street food kitchen! Opening this Spring just outside of Cardiff city centre, the Neighbourhood Kitchen will be rotating street food traders, giving them the means for foodie deliveries around Cardiff. Neighbourhood have already announced they'll be working with some awesome local talent, Little Man Coffee, Jollof House Party and Comfort Food. As well as partnering with some huge names in local beer brewing. We're SO excited to see what Neighbourhood will have to offer to the up and coming Riverside area.
THE DOUGHNUT REVOLUTION
Amongst the incredible street food newbies, Cardiff has seen a rise in Doughnut traders and we are completely here for it. There's now a plethora of local doughnut traders offering amazing flavour combos that'll blow your mind, check out our faves below.
Deliver Dough
The names the game, a next-level doughnut delivery service. With the pandemic kickstarting their opening last June, they make their way around Cardiff every week on their doughnut 'Road Trips'. Also stocked at Corner Coffee, their innovative doughnut flavours are completely necessary to order ASAP. From Biscoff Brownie to insta-worthy Party Ring. You can book onto their Road Trips through their Instagram.
Deez Doughnutz
Trading every Sunday from Riverside Market, it's fair to say Deez Doughnutz are a a fresh new addition to your typical farmers market. They also offer the odd delivery service in Cardiff and Mid Wales, be sure to keep an eye on their socials not to miss their doughnut and brownie box delivery days!
Check out Street Food Warehouse on Facebook and Instagram for regular foodie updates.
OUTDOOR FILM & FOOD FESTIVALS - SUMMER 2021
We have yet another incredibly exciting trading opportunity to announce…
We are working with a major company in the outdoor cinema game (it's hush hush at the moment, you'll have to stay tuned to find out exactly who it is we're working with!). It’s safe to say these guys will have the film side of things covered, but who will be on the food? You’ve guessed it, Street Food Warehouse. After working on a couple of drive-in cinema events over the past few weeks, we cannot wait to delve into outdoor cinemas on this festival tour for next year!
From Bournemouth to Edinburgh, Cardiff to Milton Keynes, it’s fair to say that there’ll be a festival stop-off at an incredible location near you, whatever corner of the UK you’re in. The festival tour will be stopping at the following locations:
Cardiff: 17th - 20th June
Newcastle: 24th - 27th June
Leicester: 1st - 4th July
Wolverhampton: 8th - 11th July
Nottingham: 14th - 18th July
Liverpool: 22nd - 25th July
Huddersfield: 29th July - 1st August
Bristol: 5th - 8th August
Leeds: 12th - 15th August
Bournemouth: 19th - 22nd August
South London: 26th - 29th August
Milton Keynes: 2th - 5th September
North London: 9th - 12th September
Northampton: 16th - 19th September
Manchester: 23rd - 26th September
Street food traders… if any of these events tickle your fancy, make sure you apply HERE. Applications are now open to trade at all events.
Keep up to date with Street Food Warehouse's future partnerships on Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT TOWN: CORPORATION YARD
Here at Street Food Warehouse HQ, there's nothing we love more than exploring new foodie hot stops in and around Cardiff. Our latest find being Corporation Yard, just a stone's throw away from our office.
Corporation Yard has been an unused yard for some time, located smack bang in the middle of Canton, before some foodie fanatics transformed it into what we know it to be today. From coffee to street food to cocktails, it truly is a social hub for the young professionals of Cardiff.
Meet The Traders
As street food fiends, when discovering Corporation Yard for ourselves, we of course wanted to right into the thick of it and find out who's trading. We found some newbies and some cult favourites...
Jollof House Party
Making their street food debut at Corporation Yard, is Jollof House Party! They're the perfect example of a brilliant lockdown start-up. Owner, Tumi Williams, found himself with a plethora of free time when lockdown hit, meaning he had to put his music career on pause. With a love for the Nigerian classic, Tumi decided to turn his passion into a new street food venture! All we can say is we cannot wait to get our hands on some veggie Jollof Rice.. watch this space.
Makasih
Well, what do we even need to say? Makasih are a firm favourite with the Street Food Warehouse gang, making appearances at many of our events over the years. It's been a pleasure to watch these guys expand into their brand spanking new street food van (or, Eddie... as the Makasih gang named him). We can't wait to be reunited with some Malaysian Fried Chicken at a Street Food Warehouse event, but for now... Corporation Yard is definitely on the cards for a street food fix!
Pwdin
After popping up at the Welsh Street Food Awards this year, we haven't been able to get Pwdin out of our minds. First of all, we LOVE to see a new dessert trader on the radar. Especially when their ethos is all about championing Welsh produce. It's safe to say we're super excited to get a taste of a Pwdin Pudding!
WORKING WITH: THE AA GETAWAY, DRIVE IN CINEMA
Working With: The AA Getaway
Alongside our own street food festival tour across the UK, here at Street Food Warehouse HQ, we thrive on working with external event companies to share our love for street food. So when we were contacted to manage the street food provision for The AA Getaway Drive In Cinema, we of course jumped on the opportunity without hesitation!
With Drive-in Cinemas becoming incredibly popular due to Miss Rona (Covid-19), we couldn’t wait to get involved with this event, that took place in Bicester Heritage last weekend. We’re also currently in the process of working with some more incredible drive-in events that we can’t wait to shout about!
What was on the menu at the Drive In Cinema?
Bicester Heritage welcomed The Handmade Pizza Co. and The Rolling Kitchen to the weekend long cinema event. Pizzas galore, served up alongside a plethora of gourmet burgers with all the toppings imaginable. Movie night classics, as we’re sure you agree.
How do the Street Food Warehouse services work?
As an event organiser, you might have a pretty good idea of what sort of street food you’re looking for, or you might need some suggestions from our end. We’ll cherry pick our best suited traders from our (huge) database of foodie contacts from all corners of the UK. We can manage everything, from booking the street food of your dreams to dealing with the dreaded health and safety side of things.
So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch today to discuss how we can take your event to the next level with street food.
ABOUT TOWN: WILD THING
In an era of climate change, severe homelessness and millenials having quarter life crises left right and centre, street food can bring a little sparkle of joy into your day. At Street Food Warehouse, we often say ‘everyone’s got to eat’, which has led savvy entrepreneurs to turn to street food and pop up food events to provide the young, free and fabulous with the entertainment they crave.
Lauren is one of those entrepreneurs, who just a year ago set up her fabulous cafe, Wild Thing. Street Food Warehouse received the coveted invite to their first birthday party and went along for a fabulous 6 course vegan banquet. The Wild Thing team have created a menu that is plant based, delicious and full of texture and flavour. On arrival the party was in full swing; a sophisticated, candlelit dinner among friends and the whole evening was a delightful new experience. We managed to catch up with Lauren for all Wild Thing related gossip.
How did Wild Thing start out?
I was working at the Big Issue and absolutely loved working there, but I wanted to do something for myself. I had been vegan for a while and loved experimenting at home, but I wanted to take my passion and do it as my work. And just like that Wild Thing was born!
You are a year in now, how has the first year been?
The first few months were so intense. Everyone says that working for yourself is hard, but much like having a kid, no one can prepare you for how demanding it is. A steep learning curve, but lots of fun. We opened the Cathays cafe in September only 7 months after this one (in Grangetown). We started as a five person team and I now employ 14 members of staff. What does this prove? That this is the food that people want to eat.
Tell me about you, who is Lauren @ Wild Thing?
Wow, what a question. Well, I’m really into yoga and I stopped drinking alcohol about 4 years ago and that was when my life really started changing. Yoga gave me the creativity I felt was lacking in my life and with that and my new found health kick, I just really wanted to create something new and a cafe like this didn’t exist. I also live close to the coast and I love it.
On Wild Thing's website, you say you are a cafe with ‘social goals’, what are they?
We have three main goals: get more people eating veg, reduce environmental impacts and fight food poverty. We have no single use products, we have a fully vegan menu and we really want to make healthy food more accessible. We always have a pay what you can menu option and we do have a few regulars who use this option and pay a really small amount, but we love that, it was the whole idea. And then there are those that pay more than they should, so that they pay for those who can’t. It’s amazing.
This year, we are focusing on food poverty. We looked at the main drivers of eating badly: lack of finance, education and access. To combat this we provide living wage jobs, we offer work placements through Big Issue and Huggard and we offer free community suppers full of nutrition. We also already run sustainability and health food workshops.
If a customer asked you for a recommendation, what would be your perfect meal?
I normally ask what kind of mood people are in before giving a recommendation. Do they want to be comforted? Then go for the hearty brunch. If they’re looking for indulgence, then the pancakes, or to be nourished go for our main bowl, which is always full of lots of veg and healthy goodness. I just tend to ask questions and go from there.
What are your future plans for Wild Thing?
We are going to concentrate on the community work that we are doing, like our community super next month and our nutrition courses. Our 1st year was really about getting up and running and now we can actually focus on our social goals and show that ethical businesses can exist and thrive.
Here at Street Food Warehouse, we highly recommend Wild Thing, their Beetroot and Walnut Puree dish is an absolute show stopper!
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WILD THING ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM
VEGAN CHRISTMAS DINNER IDEAS
Christmas is fast approaching. With more people plumping for a vegetarian or plant-based diet, that means there’ll be quite a few less folks getting stuck in to a turkey, goose or glazed ham this December 25.
Fortunately, the days of a vegan Christmas nut roast being your only feasible option are long gone. So, here’s a few tasty ideas for a vegan Christmas dinner to get your tastebuds tingling…
Stuffed squash
For sheer centrepiece wow factor, it’s hard to go wrong with a big, stuffed seasonal gourd. Get creative with fillings: quinoa, cous-cous or rice are good places to start, and add some chickpeas and dried fruit, and nuts too. ‘Tis the season after all, so don’t forget a good pinch of cinnamon or other aromatic spices. Butternut squash are the most common variety in our supermarkets, but we reckon it’s worth seeking out a red kuri squash or current foodie fave the crown prince squash for a rich and nutty flavours.
(Image: Alexis Lamster via Flickr)
Roast cauliflower
The world at large has cottoned on to the fine, earthy flavours of roast cauliflower. It really comes into its own spiced and baked, and has the visual impact to proudly sit as the main event of a Christmas day spread. Like a turkey though, cooking it to a tee is a delicate art. If you want an easy life break up the florets to ensure a quicker, and more even baked cauliflower. Bejewel with some pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves and you’ve got yourself a festive showstopper.
(Image: Jules Stonesoup via Flickr)
Tofu
Seasoned vegans may be wise to the merits of the infamous Tofurkey. But, given it gets imported from the west coast of America, that’s a lot of food miles to consider. That doesn’t mean you can’t make tofu the star of your Christmas spread: British tofu producer Tofoo has a bevy of festive ideas for its made-in-the-UK tofu. It’s also a prime candidate for a sweet sticky glaze if you want to scratch that festive honey-mustard itch…
Mixed root veg
Root vegetables have always shone in the winter months. With a bit of imagination you can make them a show-stopping centrepiece of a vegan Christmas roast. Chop up some colourful carrots, beetroots, parsnips, add some spices – coriander seeds work particularly well here. Add some sticky honey and a squeeze of clementine juice for some extra festive oomph, then roast. With vegan pastry, you could even make root vegetables the filling of a vegan Christmas pie.
(Image: Joyosity via Flickr)
Vegan pigs in blankets
Following in the footsteps of Greggs’ famous vegan sausage rolls come a host of plant-based substitutions for the traditional porky treat. Most of the major supermarkets have now started stocking them, with Sainsburys and Morrison being among the noteworthy purveyors of this guilt-free sausage-and-bacon bites. They’re also not a bad shout for a vegan Christmas breakfast in a sandwich…
So, there’s a few vegan Christmas dinner ideas to get you started. For more ideas check out a vegan Christmas recipe book, such as this one.
Tell us your ideas for vegan Christmas dinners on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Stay tuned to the Street Food Warehouse blog for more vegan ideas and news on where our festivals will be popping up next.
CHRISTMAS FOOD FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Christmas Food From Around the World
Christmas dinner means turkey, stuffing and sprouts, right? Or for the daring, an excursion into ham, goose or nut roast territory. But there's a lot more to Christmas food elsewhere in the world.
So, hop on board Street Food Warehouse's magical festive sleigh and join us for a whistle-stop tour of delicious traditions from around the globe…
Europe
Close to home, there’s a few European Christmas traditions which might surprise you. On Christmas eve in Poland, the Wigilia – Christmas eve vigil – sees a river fish like a trout or carp take centre stage on a plate. Fried fish is also customary in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The Scandinavian countries go big on Christmas, not least Sweden. Julmust (above) is a fizzy carbonated drink that gets quaffed a lot during the festive season. Think of it as being a bit like a spiced cola, or root beer.
Image: Cyclone Bill via Flickr
Asia & Australasia
Christmas in Japan wouldn’t be complete without a visit from… the Colonel? KFC on Christmas day has become a massive yearly occurrence in Japan since the 1970s, when the global fast food giant started advertising its food as something to get stuck into on December 25. Now, it's such a popular festive tradition you have to order well in advance or risk having to wait for hours in a queue.
In the Philippines, which has a big Catholic population, Bibingka takes the place of a hearty Christmas pud. It’s made from glutinous rice – a bit like rice pudding – and baked in a clay pot with lined with leaves.
The Indian region of Goa is home to a sizeable Christian community. A traditional Christmas dish from here is Sorpatel, a curry which has its roots in Portuguese cuisine. Pork vindaloo and Babinca, a layered cake made of plain flour, sugar, ghee, egg yolk, and coconut milk, is also a regular fixture.
In Australia, it's summertime - so a Christmas barbecue is common, particularly in some of the country's hotter areas.
Image: Wikipedia Commons
Middle East
The Christmas story hails from the Middle East, and there are Christian communities around the region which observe the holiday. For Christian families in places Jerusalem and Bethlehem, Christmas eve Eve dinner is heavy on barbecued meat, salads, dips and breads. In Iraq, Kleicha, a biscuit made with dates, is a frequent treat at Christmas and Easter time.
Image: Zeev Barkan via Flickr
Africa
Lots of traditions in South Africa have their origins in European Christmas. But in other African countries, you’ll find jollof rice and chicken stews in place of turkey and trimmings, while in eastern African countries goat and Mandazi – a fried doughnut-like bread - are popular.
Image: Wikipedia Commons
The Americas
America and Canada have lots of similar traditions to the UK so we’ll leave them for now. In Mexico, Christmas is a big deal – everything from Ensalada de Noche Buena - a colourful seasonal salad – to tamales (above), little packages of meat and cheese wrapped up in a pancake and steamed. The Mexican twist on turkey – a native bird - has also got us slavering: it’s basted in a rich, dark mole sauce.
Across South America, which have huge Catholic communities, the festive season is celebrated with much aplomb – not to mention meat, chocolate, and European items like Panettone.
Got a flavour for food from around the world? Then keep an eye on our events for the latest on Street Food Warehouse events near you, or hire us for weddings, corporate events and more.
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?