Today’s Capital Of World Street Food? Derby

Derby – it’s a place we have always dreamt about joining the street food party. Not one of those showy, mouthy boulevarding cities that gets all the press attention. But an honest-to-goodness, hardworking city, which has – all too often – been forgotten about by publicans and restaurateurs with any imagination. That’s finally starting to change. Thanks to Bustler.

Everyone knows about the brilliant trailblazing work of Street Feast and Kerb in London, Digbeth Dining Club in Birmingham and Grub in Manchester. They’ve probably read about the brilliant Peddler in Sheffield. The Pitt in Edinburgh. And Street Food Circus in Cardiff. But smaller, newer setups are doing great things all over — like Canteen in Leicester. And Bustler in Derby.

Bustler was started by Liv. who runs the city’s Hide Burger Bar, and Ben, a master knife maker with the amazing Blok knives, and it’s already grown into a traders’ favourite. Lee from Baked In Brick, the current European Street Food champions who are just about to open their first restaurant, did good business there, and loved the Bustler team. “They don’t scrimp” he says, “and they are all about the traders doing well.”

So we couldn’t think of a better location for the Central heats of the 2018 British Street Food Awards. We will be parked up right in the centre of town — inside, but with a large outdoor seating area overlooking a wonderful stretch of the River Derwent. With the best traders in Central England competing for your vote. This promises to be something a bit special.