Food is quite possibly the most interesting/fashionable thing happening in London at the moment, as entrepreneurs turn previously disused buildings into coffee shops, start micro breweries and distilleries, sell food from round on the world on market stalls and trucks and open eclectic resturants in out of the way locations. This is particularly prevalent in East London where the food scene is thriving.
Street Feast is a night food Market, held every Friday in the newly named (slightly ironically I hope!) SODA (South of Dalston!) area on Kingsland Road between Dalston and Shoreditch – the area is actually called Haggerston, but somehow SODA sounds a little bit more ‘Williamsburg’.
Running from noon until midnight (get there early to avoid the crowds) Street Feast is held in an old merchants yard. The mood is laid back and relaxed, with a great mixture of food and drink vendors and live music.
The venue also hold special themed events on Saturdays and last weekend hosted Ginstock to celebrate World Gin day. Ten of London’s best bars and bartenders, created drinks using their favourite gin brands and competed for the best gin award. Visitors were encouraged to try all ten and vote for their favourite (if they could still stand!) one.
The winner was Boodles, a premium London Dry Gin, who teamed up with Dav Eames the head bar tender at the The Gilbert Scott, a restaurant and bar from Marcus Wareing’s team. We have had several of Dav’s cocktails and tried his Boodles creation – they are very good.
The delicious Boodles gin
Martin Miller’s and Powder Keg Diplomacy
As well as copious amounts of gin, there was lots of delicious food on offer at Ginstock. With specially created recipes from Yum Bun (pork and pollock steamed buns), Breddo’s (slow-cooked short rib tacos), Vanduke (coconut prawns and jasmine tea-smoked ribs), Dogtown (juniper-smoked free-range hot dogs), ribs from Redhook and barbecue chicken K-Pop Chicken Rolls from Rotary Smoke.
The K-Pop Chicken Rolls were divine
To finish off there was hand made ice cream from Sorbitium and artisan ice lollies from Ice Kitchen – which I had on the High Line in New York last summer and believe me, they are amazing .
Ice Kitchen lollies
Despite the grey weather the event felt like a laid back urban festival – except with with excellent food and drink. Check out next Saturdays event, Ribstock – not one for the vegetarians!
