16 | Sep | 14

Richard Johnson

I Believe In Dog

He is – without fear of contradiction – the kindliest man in street food. The humble hot dog trader who gets the holy spirit of the business. And the wholesome fun of it all. Is he qualified? Well, yes, as a bond trader and stockbroker. As a chef? Not so much. Does he care? Does he — and I quote — “bollocks”. All he cares about is the quality of his product — Essex pork, and rare breed — plus the customer experience. At the finals of the 2014 British Street Food Awards he’s thinking of a tiki guitar lounge. Wait and see. Patience is a virtue.

Name of trader: Dogtown

Name of van: Dogtown Portable Joy-Station

Why is it called that: Clue’s In The Name

Description of van: It’s a terrible catering trailer that cost £500 to buy and £5,000 to fix!

Would it make any difference to you to win a British Street Food Award?: It may mean someone, somewhere, finally takes me seriously.

Where was the best street food you’ve ever eaten? Very hard to say. It wasn’t vegan though.

Do you like Citroen H vans? Yes, but I can’t afford one/don’t sell tiny eggs.

Where do you want to be next year? In my own restaurant.

Where do you want to be in five years? In one of my five restaurants.

If you had to give advice to someone starting out in the world of street food, what would it be? Don’t do it. There’s enough of us already. Or if you do do it, don’t do hotdogs. Real advice? Have a personality. Banter and fun is what it’s supposed to be about.