The Winners Are….

Photos: @Mia_b_photos and @truffleandtoast

Thousands of applications turned into hundreds of competitors. And – at Food St market this weekend – it all came down to The Final Thirteen. Our amazing judging panel – Michelin-starred chefs Gaetano Farucci and Greg Wellman PLUS celebrated TV presenter, chef and author Toni Buxton, the London food blogger behind @truffleandtoast Shree Mitra AND food curator at CARGO events Felix Denton – had the unenviable task of choosing our 2025 Champions.

And? The winners? And 2025 Champions at the British Street Food Awards Champions supported by Freemans Event Partners? Going to represent the UK in Europe? Saffa Soul (Manchester) who brought the UNBELIEVABLY authentic flavours of Jo’burg to London. In second place were beef bosses Fire and Flank (Glamorgan) and – in third place – purveyors of Japanese soul food Hakko House (Somerset). Amazing. The lot of them.

The People’s Choice – chosen by everyone who attended the finals, which ran alongside the inaugural WestFest – were Oshpaz (London), with their mouth-watering twists on Uzbek classics. Followed by Saffa Soul (Manchester) in second and Waffle Wands (Hertfordshire), with their sweet treats on a stick in third. The Champions and the People’s Choice now go to the grand finals of the 2025 European Street Food Awards in Germany on October 10-12.

Best Main Dish went to the braised beef cheek with whipped bone marrow from Fire And Flank, with The Burger Society taking Best Burger with their Bacon Double Stack. Best Vegetarian went to Oshpaz for their steamed dumplings, and ROK Kitchen’s Potted Short Rib of Beef Bulgogi won the Best Snack. The Flaky Chicken Roti won Best Sandwich, the Vanilla Rice Pudding from Cut The Mustard won Best Dessert, and Craving Asian took the Spice Award with their Spicy Asian Cluck Cluck.

The Best Looking Award – sponsored by Majisign – went to the iconic caravan of The Bucket List. The Sustainability Award – sponsored by Freemans Event Partners – went to Jolly Allotment, who impressed our judges with their broad approach to sustainability from regenerative sourcing to fire cooking with local wood/charcoal and use of a strict home-compostable packaging plus launching a CIC for education to make a social impact as well as an environmental one. Best Digital Content Creator went to Food Review Club. And Best Food Hall – for the second year running – went to Cambridge Street in Sheffield.

That just left Future Food Legend, for a trader who promises to really CHANGE the industry, which went to Ro Vietnamese from London. Their banh mi menu is shaping up to be something to watch. Plus The Extra Mile Award for a trader giving something extra in their pursuit of excellence, which was SHARED by FIREBOWL and Smoked Tomago. And the Entrepreneur of the Year, for a genius concept and execution, went to Waffle Wands.

Champion:
1. Saffa Soul
2. Fire and Flank
3. Hakko House

People’s Choice:
1. Oshpaz
2. Saffa Soul
3. Waffle Wands

Best Main Dish: Fire and Flank

Best Snack: ROK Kitchen

Best Vegetarian: Oshpaz

Best Burger: The Burger Society

Best Sandwich: Saffa Soul

Best Dessert: Cut The Mustard

Spice Award: Craving Asian

Best Looking sponsored by Majisign: The Bucket List

Sustainability Award sponsored by Freeman’s Event Partners: Jolly Allotment

Best Digital Content Creator: Food Review Club

Best Food Hall: Cambridge Street in Sheffield

Future Food Legent: Ro Vietnamese

Extra Mile: Smoked Tomago and FIREBOWL

Entrepreneur: Waffle Wands

2025 BSFA Finalists

Smoked Tamago – Fife
Smoked Tamago dishes up contemporary Japanese-Korean street food starring their signature Tamagoyaki – Japan’s iconic rolled egg. Pioneering the debut of this iconic traditional dish into Hong Kong’s street food scene back in 2016, it quickly became a local sensation and earned rave reviews from major media outlets. After relocating to Scotland, Smoked Tamago is bringing the fluffy, flavour-packed dishes to hungry Scottish mouths to pop-ups and events up and down the country, spreading the gospel of the mighty Tamagoyaki. A favourite at Errol Sunday Market and Leith Walk Police Box, you’ll find them serving up fresh, made-to-order Tamagoyaki and fusion bites, growing a new community of fans who crave something different and delicious.

Firebowl – Midlothian
Firebowl bring the heat through umami-packed East Asian street food, fused with the best of Scottish produce. Born from a food-fuelled trip where founders Andie and Euan ate their way from Seoul to Osaka, Firebowl reimagines classics like donburi bowls and yakitori skewers with creative Scottish twists: think Highland beef, whisky tare, and their signature “neep” kimchi. With sizzling hibachi grills and house-made katsu, Fierbowl is fast, fiery and full of flavour.

Craving Asian – Newcastle
Craving Asian are an exciting mix of British Asian kids and ABC (American-born Chinese) making cookies and sandwiches. “We had the privilege of access to two cultures growing up” says Phoebe. “The one that came from our immigrant households and the place we grew up in.” The end result? Some extraordinary ingredient pairings. Whether that means Taiwanese Fried Chicken Sandos, Miso Toffee Cookies (made in-house) or Hong Kong French Toast, you won’t be disappointed.

Saffa Soul – Manchester
It’s a long journey from Joburg to Manchester. But, for Huggy, an inspirational one that ended in the creation of his business Saffa Soul. His unique Bunny Chow (at its core the most important street food to come out of South Africa) has stripped back the classic, by stuffing sweet Cape Malay curry into a smaller home-made crusty loaf, and made it more manageable.

The Ama Bokke wrap showcases what every South African loves – a good BRAAI! “We import wood from South Africa called Sekelbos, which adds an aroma and flavour to the 24hr marinated chicken” says Huggy. “We then stuff it in a hand made roti that is a mix of recipes from my grandmothers and my Aunty. It’s flaky, buttery and has our customers addicted.”

The Burger Society – Berkshire
There’s something primal about a juicy, two-fisted burger. But The Burger Society manage to bring a little refinement to an everyday classic. It helps that Chris Murray worked at the Michelin-starred establishments The Fat Duck and The Hand And Flowers, and has retained a lot of the high-end suppliers. “We worked with the butchers Aubrey Allen to create a burger patty that is specific to us and that no other burger place will use. The buns are made in-house to a recipe – again used at Michelin level – and the burger sauce is made by us, each element chosen to complement the burger.“ Check out their bacon double cheeseburger to see if it’s worth all the fuss.

The Dough Thrower – Vale of Glamorgan
Dough thrower are all about slow fermentation and premium ingredients – like their lion’s mane mushroom pizza. “We slow-braise Welsh leeks in butter to bring sweetness and richness, and build it all on a garlic velouté base. It’s fired fast and finished simply — a proud nod to what Welsh food can be today.”

Fire And Flank – South Glamorgan
Fire and Flank – masters of the grill – won Best Main Dish at the British Street Food Awards back in 2021. With juicy, butter soft steaks drizzled with a zesty chimichurri packed with fresh herbs and garlic. What are they bringing in 2025?

Waffle Wands – Hertfordshire
Waffle Wands are proud of their Danish roots – “that’s what inspired us to start the waffles on a stick business” says Louie. “But we are influenced by Dutch food too, and we like to bring a touch of Amsterdam to everywhere we go.” Which explains the Poffertjes and the Stroopwafels on the menu. It’s all an education. Come see. “Our food is very interactive to watch we bake everything fresh in front of our audience and top our treats with warm sauces and luxury toppings. People are always blown away by our innovative products and the flavours we offer.”

Cut The Mustard – Devon
Coming from deepest Devon is the field kitchen of Cut The Mustard – a trailer mounted barbecue that pulls a crowd wherever it goes. Expect open fire cooking, and a proper celebration of the best that the South West can offer. Whether it’s local lobster, spit roasted directly on the embers with brandy and garlic butter, or oak smoked shin of beef, rubbed with juniper and thyme, beetroot and horseradish chutney, roast potatoes and spiced honey, you won’t be disappointed.

Ro Vietnamese – London
Ro Vietnamese from London specialise in the Vietnamese Pork Baguette (Banh Mi). The pork is marinated with fresh lemongrass, shallots and garlic for 24 hours before it’s grilled till juicy, and served in a light and crispy baguette with pate, rich mayonaise, hoisin sauce, pickled carrots, cucumber and topped with a sweated down spring onion oil, fresh coriander, crispy shallots and your choice of sriracha and fresh chilli. with a sprinkle of white pepper and seasoning.

Oshpaz – London
Come try the UK’s only Uzbek food truck. You won’t regret it. You may have already tried Oshpaz at Food St market in London or the World Halal Food Festival (where Big Zuu really, really loved it) but now chef Muzaffar Sadykov is bringing his Uzbek food to the British Street Food Awards heats at Gunwharf Quays. The signature dish in this Central Asian cuisine is plov (also known as pilaf), but also expect Lagman hand-pulled noodles – pan fried or in an aromatic broth – steamed dumplings with a carrot salad, sour cream dip and chilli oil, and shaslik kebabs.

Hakkō House – Somerset
Hakkō House has been a journey of love and learning – and countless kitchen experiments. “It started in our home kitchen during Covid, taking orders from friends and neighbours. As word spread, so did our dreams—first a market stall, then a shipping container restaurant (described by Country Living as ‘beamed straight from Kyoto’), and now, our beloved food stall.”

The family business focuses on wholesome, feel-good food that nourishes both the body and soul. Fermentation is their superpower, and every dish is packed with natural goodness, probiotics, and bold flavors. “Plus, we’re proud to offer a 100% gluten-free menu, making Japanese soul food more accessible to everyone.”

ROK – Kent
It’s under wraps. But not for much longer. After winning Best Burger at the 2021 British Street Food Awards, ROK have a special new burger to share. “Our Korean fried chicken burger with home made BBQ sauce and Gochu mayo is pretty good” says Steve. “Good enough to outsell our award-winning ROK burger on London’s second business street food market – Leather Lane. And good enough to enter it for the British Street Food Awards.” But will it win? You decide.