Street Foods – UK – Southwark
Street Food and moving it from kitchen to customers is now big business. Many Multinational food kitchens have couriers: From; Uber Foods; Deliveroo; Just eat: Sushi along with the main stream corporate such as Domino Pizza’. It will not be long before McDonalds, Burger King and KFC will follow.
Local businesses, private restaurants, take-a-ways are also into the delivering to keep up with the demand for instant eats bought to your door and thus earning additional income.
Street vendors are being squeezed but fighting back. More exotic and tasty dishes are being served and in innovative ways. There are night markets, markets where only food is the main items, specific and multi-coloured vans to bring the items to a street near you.
Delivery street food vendors will not be too far behind.
New start-ups however, are on the increase as the street food vendors add more exotic and colourful dishes to their menus. Away from the mainstream tourist areas such as: The west end: Piccadilly Circus: Marble Arch: Regents Park and Kensington. The street food vendors have to work twice as hard to succeed. Office workers and passing trade is their main source of income.
One such street vendor newly established – THE CARNIVAL POT jerk Chicken Stall is currently cooking up a storm at Southwark Station. With the rebuilding and remodelling of the area and the influx of new companies, businesses become the new customers.
The Carnival Pot is located as you head south over the river Thames, past the famous OXO Tower and across Blackfriars Bridge or North towards Kings Cross. You will see that the buildings are mostly new, shiny, glass and modern. With the backdrop of demolishing buildings, constant restructuring is being done, which cannot hide the once historic feel of the area. Once across the river, travelling towards Southwark Station and the famous Young Vic Theatre, you pause under the bridge because of the traffic lights on the Blackfriars Road; if you look to the left and right, you will see street vendors.
In amongst you will find, Lebanese Grills, Burger Stall, Paul with his fruit stall a Thai, Mexican, and the new addition of a ‘Jerk Chicken Stall – The Carnival Pot. This is the venture of Dele who serves up a quick, tasty street fare of Curry Goat with Rice ‘n’ Peas; Jerk Chicken and many other West Indian tasty food items.
From a refurbished newspaper stall, if you fancy a sweet snack, that too is provided. Homemade cakes, brownies and flapjacks from www.allaboutthebakes.com are also available. His fresh outlook is a welcomed addition to the road. The office workers and locals of the area are treated to a spicy Caribbean lunch before returning to the hustle and bustle of city life.
FTL visited the stall one month into its life, where queues were 10 deep. The mix of people eating was very diverse. From mothers returning from nursery, office workers, construction worker, tourists and the general passerby, all types were being catered. The before and the after pictures show how dedicated Dele is to his craft. Turning a newspaper stall into a thriving, bustling food stall catering for the masses is a hard task.
With the change of name, design specific and a full staff team, Food Travelogue wish all the best to this venture.
