British Street Food Awards 2012 
I love chili. It’s sexy food. Add a bottle of red wine, a generous helping of candlelight, a dash of Johnny Mathis and my 220 pounds of pure Grade-A man-meat, you’ve got a freak fest to write home about. So judging Chili Standoff — the fourth Tweat Up event — was a real pleasure. (more…)
Bad news. The lovely Fay Ripley (actress and author of the brilliant Fay’s Family Food) is going to drive to Harvest At Jimmy’s. I was very excited when she agreed to come and join the judges at the British Street Food Awards on Sunday — she’s a great cook. But driving? All the way from London? I’ve tried emailing her train timetables. I’ve even looked into helicopter landing pads. But she won’t have it. She’s driving. Despite The Accident…….
The champion of the 2011 British Street Food Awards will win the right to trade at the London 2012 Olympics – and today sees the announcement of the first batch of finalists. (more…)
I expected the pigeon to be dry. But, you see, my grandfather used to race pigeons – and maybe my mouth was puckering involuntarily. (more…)
I will always remember Marco Pierre White in the lobby of the Soho Grand, signing for breakfast. He put it on Room 320 – the only problem was that he was in Room 322. He was the worse for wear after a night on the sambuca – ‘the house cocktail’, as he called it. The aniseed spirit was lit, extinguished (with the palm of the hand) and shot – in one. Sure, it was against New York fire regulations, and everything that was good and decent. But it was very Marco Pierre White. And the burns from last night didn’t appear to be bothering him…
Antony Worrall Thompson has just sent me this article. He wrote it for the Express, a few years ago, when he was — understandably — down on the whole idea of British street food. Now he’s coming to Ludlow to judge the British Street Food Awards. And he’s not doing it ironically. How times have changed — thank goodness.
“You’re on holiday, you’re feeling peckish, what do you do? You don’t really want the expense of a full blown meal, so you think to yourself ‘Do I trust the street vendors?’ The answer in many cases must be no.
My general rule of thumb is, if you’re in a western country (USA, UK, Germany, Australia), don’t touch them with a bargepole — unless, of course, you are into greasy nondescript burgers with boiled onions or boiled frankfurters with tasteless cotton wool bread. Let’s face it — we don’t do street food well. Except, of course, the great bacon buttie. As long as good quality bacon is used.
Antony dealing with the excitement at the launch — and Whitecross Street Market in London is busy at the best of times…….I love Antony. He set off early to get to the Street Food launch, but got caught in heavy traffic down Shaftesbury Avenue. Anyone else would have turned round and gone home. Not Antony. A thoroughly nice man, with high principles. And a decent Sat Nav.
