The Bournville Waffle Company
Who: Jenny Deeley and partner Paul Desmond.
Based: Founded in Bournville they have recently moved to north Warwickshire.
Serving: Traditional Belgian waffles with not-so-traditional toppings.
Speciality: Rocky road (waffle with cookies, marshmallows, chocolate buttons, with freshly whipped double cream and homemade hot chocolate fudge sauce)
Trading since: March 2013
Inspired by: Waffles eaten on Paul’s childhood holidays to France. They had originally thought about selling crepes but wanted something unusual.
Future plans: They would eventually like to have their own cafe in Birmingham.
Want more: @Wafflespeak and Facebook and thebournvillewafflecompany.co.uk
Low’n’Slow
Who: Andy Stubbs with support from girlfriend Donna.
Based: Cheslyn Hay, Staffordshire.
Serving: American-inspired smoked barbecue.
Speciality: Kansas beef ribs.
Trading since: August 2013.
Inspired by: Texan BBQ food and Neil Rankin’s Smokehouse in London which serves up American barbecue food with British and French twists.
Future plans: Eventually Andy hopes for a Low’n’Slow restaurant. In the meantime, he is launching a crowd-funding drive at kickstarter.com to raise £3,000 for an outdoor kitchen as he currently cooks under tarpaulin and a gazebo.
Want more: Low’N’Slow on Facebook and @andylownslow
Canoodle
Who: Chris Wiggin with support from partner Vicki and daughter Virginia.
Based: Edgbaston (originally from Great Barr)
Serving: Pan Asian cuisine (mainly Vietnamese, but including Malaysian, Cambodian, Indonesian and Thai).
Speciality: Vietnamese shaking beef (wok-fried steak) and chili pepper squid
Trading since: September 2013 as Canoodle, but Chris first ventured into street food 20 years ago as the Happy Noodle Company, bringing self-taught Thai food to Birmingham.
Inspired by: Seeing restaurants in London selling Saturday night’s leftovers to punters on Sunday and wanting to deliver something fresher and better.
Future plans: Canoodle hopes to supply Birmingham’s pubs and cafes with Bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwiches made up of French-influenced baguettes with crunchy salads, pickles, sauce and a filling such as pate or pork meatballs). Chris is also planning a second street food operation selling gourmet fish finger sandwiches.
Want more: On Facebook and @canoodleuk
Vegan Grindhouse
Who: Lisa Burbidge-Brown and husband Andrew.
Based: Bilston, near Wolverhampton
Serving: 1950s American diner-style food – including hot dogs, burgers and milkshakes – that are 100 per cent vegan.
Speciality: Six bean chili (a gluten-free mix of mung beans, chickpeas, black beans and haricots slow cooked in tomato and garlic).
Trading since: May 2014
Inspired by: Long-term vegetarian, Lisa, went vegan last year and launched a vegan blog with recipes and pictures. After readers asked where they could buy and eat food like hers Lisa gave up her teaching job and she and Andrew made Vegan Grindhouse their full-time pursuit.
Future plans: The couple are currently operating under a gazebo but want a van so they can go to festivals and travel around the UK. Eventually they’d like their own cafe or restaurant in the Midlands.
Want more: @vegangrindhouse and Facebook and thevegangrindhouse.co.uk
Savanna Grill
Who: Ben Rushforth
Based: Warwick
Serving: South African-inspired street food
Speciality: Bunny chow, a Durban curry served inside a loaf of bread
Trading since: September 2013 as Savanna Grill, but Ben first ventured into street food five years ago as The Big Red Pig Company, serving hog roasts.
Inspired by: Ben’s South African wife, Ebony.
Future plans: Eventually Ben hopes to own a deli serving South African specialities such as biltong.
Want more: On Facebook and @SAstreetfood
Platinum Pancakes
Who: Anthony Dillon
Based: Hall Green, Birmingham
Serving: Simple pancakes made with top-quality ingredients
Speciality: Damsons in distress, made using damson compote and served with white chocolate dip, these pancakes are served for just two weeks of the year in early September when damsons are in season.
Trading since: August 2012
Inspired by: Anthony’s wife, Xanthe. Anthony has been a chef since he was 17, previously managing a large team, but after Xanthe, who runs bridal shop Platinum Brides in Hall Green, suggested selling pancakes at weddings, Anthony costed up a business plan and made the leap.
Future plans: Because he’s in demand at events across the UK, Anthony wants to set up local franchises to take Platinum Pancakes further afield. He’s also keen for a more permanent base, serving pancakes in the Bullring.
Want more: Facebook and @PlatnumPancakes
Original Patty Men
Who: Tom Maher and Scott O’Byrne
Based: Birmingham
Serving: Burgers, homemade using locally sourced produce
Speciality: The Krispy Kreme burger (which has been renamed Big Vern’s Krispy Ring since a complaint from the donut brand) consisting of a glazed Krispy Kreme donut, toasted on the grill, sandwiching a gourmet burger with double smoked bacon smothered in maple syrup with a dash of ketchup and mustard.
Trading since: August 2012
Inspired by: American diners and TV’s Man Vs Food. Tom and Scott, both full-time designers for Luke menswear, share a passion for food and decided to develop their own range of burgers.
Future plans: After a successful collaboration with Siren Brewing Company the pair are keen for more joint working in the future and hope to feed their gourmet burgers to as many punters as possible.
Want more: Facebook and @OriginalPattyM
Buddha Belly
Who: Former MasterChef contestant Sai Deethwa and fiance James
Based: Stourbridge (Sai was born in Thailand and came to the Midlands when she was just two)
Serving: Authentic Thai street food
Speciality: Pork panang, a red curry dish made from pork shoulder with finely sliced kaffir lime leaves to give each mouthful a hit of aromatics.
Trading since: June 2012
Inspired by: Sai’s mum, Niang (who has her own street food business) and her family in a small village in the district of Surin, Vietnam.
Future plans: Having been crowned the Best Street Food Trader in the Midlands heat of this year’s British Street Food Awards, Buddha Belly is set to take on the best from the rest of the UK at the finals in September. Eventually Sai hopes for a permanent venue but first wants to expand her street food business.
Want more: @SaiBuddhaBelly and search for “Sai Buddha Belly” on Facebook and buddhabellystreetfood.co.uk
Esmie’s
Who: Esmie Stewart and daughter Sapphire.
Based: Bordesley Green
Serving: Seafood and Caribbean street food
Speciality: Caribbean burgers (a giant dumpling stuffed with jerk chicken, king prawns and peppers, served with homemade sweet chili dip)
Trading since: April 2013
Inspired by: Esmie’s roots in the Caribbean. She was born in St Kitts and moved to the Midlands as a teenager.
Future plans: Eventually they’d like their own restaurant but for now they’re happy to concentrate on the street food business.
Want more: @leaveittoesmie
The Bean Stall
Who: Richard Hunter-Rice with support from daughter Maisie.
Based: Great Barr
Serving: Top quality coffee with a passion, served from a converted Piaggio scooter.
Speciality: Flat whites and cold pressed coffee (fresh ground coffee slowly steeped in room temperature water before being served over ice).
Trading since: March 2014
Inspired by: Richard’s travels as a senior sales manager for an IT business. He got fed up of drinking substandard coffee on his journeys around the country so decided to launch his own alternative after leaving his job in December.
Future plans: He can already be found at Millennium Point from 8am to 4pm Monday to Fridays, and 10am to 4pm at the weekend, but eventually Richard wants a second scooter and a more permanent trading patch.
Want more: @thebeanstall and Facebook and thebeanstall.com
Deli at Edgbaston
Who: Simon Dunmore
Based: Edgbaston
Serving: Middle Eastern salads
Speciality: Their best seller is a dish of grilled aubergine, onion and mint with a parsley and hazelnut pesto.
Trading since: October 2012. Simon started the street food venture two months after launching The Deli at Edgbaston, based opposite Simpsons in Highfield Road. He sold the business (now called Edgbaston Deli) last year, selling neighbouring enterprise The Grocer at Edgbaston shortly after and going full-time with street food ventures The Deli at Edgbaston, Pimpernel’s Crepes and Chilli Dog Dogs (the latter based in the Moseley beer garden of The Prince of Wales).
Inspired by: Simon’s travels around the world, particularly three months spent in Israel, eating fresh salads from street food vendors and restaurants.
Future plans: He hopes 2015 will bring a bricks-and-mortar permanent outlet in the city centre.
Want more: @deliatedgbaston
Big Daddies Diner
Who: Jeff Wilson with support from son Robert.
Based: Leicester (originally from Essex)
Serving: Gourmet hot dogs with a variety of homemade toppings
Speciality: The Turbo Pete. Named after Jeff’s dad, this includes home smoked pulled pork with barbecue sauce and red cabbage slaw.
Trading since: February 2013
Inspired by: A burning desire to be a chef saw Jeff take the leap after working for 20 years as a logistics operations manager.
Future plans: Eventually Jeff would like a restaurant in Birmingham but he has just signed a six-month contract for his first solid base, operating out of a street food take-away at Leicester market.
Want more: @BigDaddiesDiner
* An anniversary bash to celebrate Digbeth Dining Club will take place at Spotlight, Lower Trinity Street on August 22. For more details visit digbethdiningclub.co.uk