Napkins at the ready! The British Street Food Awards is coming to Sunderland for the first time next month, and the first competitors have now been confirmed.
Nine street food vendors will join the cook-off at The Fire Station for the competition’s Northern Heat from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 May.
The selected vendors will be serving up their grub for a panel of soon-to-be-announced expert judges, having already beaten out hundreds of shortlisted hopefuls.
Attendees will also get the chance to have their say on their favourite dishes throughout the weekend via a public vote.
Appearing at the British Street Food Awards’ Northern Heat will be:
The Greekster
The Greekster pride themselves on standing against the dumbing-down of Greek food, aiming to deliver authentic, street-friendly versions of genuine dishes. Their signature dishes are taken straight from Nana’s recipe book, including beer-braised pork shoulder skewers and leeks served with sausage that’s been dried and traditionally smoked over oak wood from the north of Greece.
Craving Asian
Craving Asian uses their unique experiences as British Asian kids and ABC (American-born Chinese) to create next-level cookies and sandwiches. “We had the privilege of access to two cultures growing up,” says Phoebe. “One that came from our immigrant households and the place we grew up in.” The result? Some extraordinary ingredient pairings. Whether that means Taiwanese Fried Chicken Sandos, homemade Miso Toffee Cookies, or Hong Kong French Toast, you won’t be disappointed.
Sizzling Scoop (Friday only)
Thought you couldn’t improve on ice cream? Sizzling Scoop is here to prove you wrong. Offering up a cold, creamy scoop encased in a crisp, golden shell, topped with indulgent flavours and toppings, each bite is a delightful contrast of texture and temperature. Some say the idea is Mexican; some say it’s Chinese. But everybody says it’s delicious, and Sizzling Scoop is bringing this fried ice cream sensation to a UK street food audience.
My Sister’s Kitchen
Based here in Sunderland, this homegrown community food project is working to spread the word about their awesome work. Driven by her own lived experiences of the challenges young people encounter, co-founder Jo created the Raising Dough street food project to offer training and volunteering opportunities to young people facing barriers to employment and education. Now, the vendor is serving up both great food and a brighter future for our youth.
Saffa Soul
Bringing the flavours of Johannesburg to Manchester, Saffa Soul founder Huggy has reinvented South Africa’s iconic Bunny Chow for the street food market. By stuffing sweet Cape Malay curry into a smaller, homemade, crusty loaf, Huggy is helping hungry Brits enjoy this classic delicacy in a more manageable way. Saffa Soul is beloved for its Ama Bokke wrap. Chicken is marinated for 24 hours and cooked over Sekelbos wood, imported from South Africa, then stuffed into a handcrafted roti made according to Huggy’s family recipe.
My Delhi
Another local favourite representing Sunderland, My Delhi has already earned a BBC Britain’s Top Takeaways award, and has won Argie Bhaji, Wylam Brewery’s annual Indian food battle, for the last three years. They’ll be looking to land another title with their signature Aslam Tandoori Chops, which pays homage to Delhi’s legendary street food scene, inspired by the iconic Aslam Chicken.
Flying Cows
Two-time winner of the Best Burger category at previous British Street Food Awards, Flying Cows will be showing off their family farm’s Dexter beef burgers at the Northern heats. Established in 2011, the Flying Cows team is now street food royalty, slinging hand-smashed patties and artisan buns for legions of burger fans.
Chicken Ting
Chicken Ting dishes up banging fried chicken made with ingredients sourced from local farms, prepared by hand, and fried in sustainably sourced oil in The Cluck Truck. From stacked sandwiches and chicken tenders to flavoursome wings, Chicken Ting is chicken done right.
The Fire Truck
Got room for dessert? Usually found serving up wood-fired pizzas, The Fire Station’s own Fire Truck will be hoping to make its mark on the competition with its innovative take on the humble ice cream sandwich. The venue’s trademark silver Airstream will be dishing up a dessert that brings the heat: hot, homemade doughnuts stuffed with ice cream. Freshly fried until toasty and golden, sliced and stacked with silky scoops of cold, creamy deliciousness. Add in rich sauces, wild flavour combos, and a whole lotta love, and you’ve got a street food sandwich like no other.
The British Street Food Awards are being brought to Sunderland as part of a region-wide partnership between The Fire Station, Food and Drink North East, Sunderland BID, Destination North East, Local Heroes, Sunderland Music City, Sunderland City Council, and Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS).
As well as sampling world-class food, guests will enjoy live music and DJs courtesy of Sunderland Music City and a Local Heroes market packed with top traders from across the region.
Tickets for the free event are going like hotcakes. With 1,500 tickets having already been claimed, the venue hopes this could be the biggest event ever hosted at The Fire Station. Saturday’s mid-afternoon slot is already sold out, but foodies can still claim their spot at one of the event’s seven other sessions.
The winner of the Northern heat will go on to compete in the British Street Food Awards final, with the chance to travel to Germany to represent the UK in the grand final of the 2025 European Street Food Awards in Munich.
The British Street Food Awards have been showcasing the best street food from across the country for over 15 years, with past winners—such as MEATliquor, Wingmans, and Bao—going on to achieve considerable success.
Rhys McKinnell, CEO of Pub Culture, operators of The Fire Station, said, "We’re really excited to be bringing this unique event to Sunderland for the first time. Nothing brings people together like great food, and there’s no better way to spend the bank holiday weekend than sitting in the sun, trying loads of delicious dishes, and listening to great music.
“This kind of event is so great for the city and the wider region. It’s going to give a lot of people and businesses the opportunity to come to Sunderland and see what we’ve got to offer—and it’s a chance for residents to try some of these amazing traders for the first time.
“We’re proud to be hosting such a special event and representing the North in this huge competition - some of the traders have come from as far as Birmingham and Manchester and we’re excited to give them a warm Wearside welcome.”