Champions of Wales!

What a weekend. The amazing team at Street Food Circus delivered an event that overcame wind, rain, and the first Cardiff City home game of the season. But – finally – we have a winner. Actually, we have two winners. Keralan Karavan were voted Champions, after 18-months of pivoting like crazy with pop-ups and home delivery, and Janet’s Authentic Northern Chinese Restaurant were voted People’s Choice, with Hot Damn in second place and Tukka Tuk Indian Streetfood by Anand George and Keralan Karavan in joint third. Both winners will now go forward to the grand final at FreedomFest in September.

Wales Online were excited. So were the rest of us. With Radio Cardiff eager to try everything. Our amazing judges Sam and Shauna from Hangfire Southern Kitchen were mightily impressed by this year‘s finalists, dubbing the 2021 WSFA “the best ever”. And they should know – they’ve judged for the last three years. Which creates quite a problem. So much new talent. There will be a few wild cards available for the final, but with so many top traders to choose from, who will make the cut? Pwdin? Frango Charcoal Chicken? Fire and Flank? Carnival Brazilian Street Food? Next stop British Street Food Awards 2021 – Northern Heats with Chow Down in Leeds and British Street Food Awards 2021 – Southern Heats with Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth. And a great panel of judges, including Manjit, Chris Kamara, Danny from Rate My Takeaway, and Yorkshire Food Guide in Leeds, with Jon Marsden Jones and Andrew du Bourg from The Elderflower Restaurant in Portsmouth. Shaun Rankin, Mose Masoe and Burnsy from BBC Radio Humberside will be on duty for the finals. With some surprise guests along the way. Game on!