An article by foodPark's founder Heidi White, published on LinkedIn.com
I've recently launched a concept / venture that I've been quietly and determinedly working on behind the scenes for a very long time. foodPark is a collective of street food traders and a market / event organiser, the first of its kind in Cambridge UK. Street trading is far from new, but the latest wave of high quality street food traders and their super demanding, super discerning customers (or followers), are revolutionizing the concept of eating out, and eating well, outside of the traditional hospitality environment.
King of street food, Richard Johnson, recorded so beautifully on paper the first fascinating flush of the street food revolution in his book of the same name back in 2011. Beautiful photos tell a story of roadside recipes, foolhardy ambition, and downright determination to make mobile food good food. Up and down the country - but often inspired by diners and food trucks of the US - a wide-ranging collection of traders have gradually claimed their space in the food and drink arena, but each occupying their own little pitch, carving out their own identity, and working hard to champion their chosen dishes or category of food. There are no carbon copy restaurant chain machines here. Street food is independent, and successfully so, and the differing goals and visions of traders, but with a strong shared ethos to keep street food top quality and affordable, is what sets them apart.
Pooling ideas with traders for the launch of foodPark, it was clear that this street food revolution is far from over - its deepening, growing exponentially, and bringing with it a new wave of strict quality criteria and fierce competition. The collective, supportive ethos of trading alongside other street food outfits is strong, but as the masses clutch onto the trend regular street pitches and markets are juggled alongside corporate events, pop-up events, and private hire. Even in a city as small as Cambridge, traders are feeling the need to be everywhere at once. Everyone wants a piece of them. Second vans are purchased; pop-up stalls are painstakingly panelled and branded to fit in with the street food "look"; a weekly street food market is just not enough for our hungry followers, so within a month of launching we're running foodPark twice a week and adding new sites imminently. Street food is hard work, full-on, theatrical, even, and expectations are high, but street food market customers are (generally) happy customers.
Behind the street food scene are talented chefs, passionate and confident cooks, hard working and demanding drivers of a product they believe in 100%. Top quality ingredients are crucial (and painstakingly sourced and sampled). There's also a keen eye for detail, for ensuring the finished product is everything the trader promised and more. Sometimes there's no need for a menu reeling out a long list of what's on offer - the traders are there, evangelizing, explaining, and urging you to TASTE their food. And it works. There's no fast food here, it is affordable, high quality, lovingly prepared food with a back-story that happens to be produced on the streets, right in front of your eyes, whilst you hang out admiring the hard work that's gone into the whole delicious and beautiful little (often vintage) package that is STREET FOOD.
I'm looking forward to joining the revolution - see you on the street!
foodPark Cambridge currently runs a street food market every Thursday and Friday lunchtime at the CB1 development on Station Road, Cambridge, UK. www.foodparkcam.com
I've recently launched a concept / venture that I've been quietly and determinedly working on behind the scenes for a very long time. foodPark is a collective of street food traders and a market / event organiser, the first of its kind in Cambridge UK. Street trading is far from new, but the latest wave of high quality street food traders and their super demanding, super discerning customers (or followers), are revolutionizing the concept of eating out, and eating well, outside of the traditional hospitality environment.
King of street food, Richard Johnson, recorded so beautifully on paper the first fascinating flush of the street food revolution in his book of the same name back in 2011. Beautiful photos tell a story of roadside recipes, foolhardy ambition, and downright determination to make mobile food good food. Up and down the country - but often inspired by diners and food trucks of the US - a wide-ranging collection of traders have gradually claimed their space in the food and drink arena, but each occupying their own little pitch, carving out their own identity, and working hard to champion their chosen dishes or category of food. There are no carbon copy restaurant chain machines here. Street food is independent, and successfully so, and the differing goals and visions of traders, but with a strong shared ethos to keep street food top quality and affordable, is what sets them apart.
Pooling ideas with traders for the launch of foodPark, it was clear that this street food revolution is far from over - its deepening, growing exponentially, and bringing with it a new wave of strict quality criteria and fierce competition. The collective, supportive ethos of trading alongside other street food outfits is strong, but as the masses clutch onto the trend regular street pitches and markets are juggled alongside corporate events, pop-up events, and private hire. Even in a city as small as Cambridge, traders are feeling the need to be everywhere at once. Everyone wants a piece of them. Second vans are purchased; pop-up stalls are painstakingly panelled and branded to fit in with the street food "look"; a weekly street food market is just not enough for our hungry followers, so within a month of launching we're running foodPark twice a week and adding new sites imminently. Street food is hard work, full-on, theatrical, even, and expectations are high, but street food market customers are (generally) happy customers.
Behind the street food scene are talented chefs, passionate and confident cooks, hard working and demanding drivers of a product they believe in 100%. Top quality ingredients are crucial (and painstakingly sourced and sampled). There's also a keen eye for detail, for ensuring the finished product is everything the trader promised and more. Sometimes there's no need for a menu reeling out a long list of what's on offer - the traders are there, evangelizing, explaining, and urging you to TASTE their food. And it works. There's no fast food here, it is affordable, high quality, lovingly prepared food with a back-story that happens to be produced on the streets, right in front of your eyes, whilst you hang out admiring the hard work that's gone into the whole delicious and beautiful little (often vintage) package that is STREET FOOD.
I'm looking forward to joining the revolution - see you on the street!
foodPark Cambridge currently runs a street food market every Thursday and Friday lunchtime at the CB1 development on Station Road, Cambridge, UK. www.foodparkcam.com
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