A FOOD FESTIVAL DONE RIGHT!
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Too often recently I’ve been to food markets and festivals and been left with a feeling of what if… What if there was more choice? What if there was more going on? What if the day wasn’t spent queuing? You get the idea.
Despite hearing glowing reviews about Big Feed you could imagine my cynicism as I turned up and handed over my hard earned £2 entry fee. Turns out it was the best money I spent all weekend. Big Feed had everything I was hoping for and more.
If you’re looking for choice then look no further, there’s an ever-changing lineup at Big Feed with a mix of regulars and newcomers meaning that it can convene every 2 weeks without getting stale.
The bulk of this weeks lineup is shown below and there’ll be a bit more detail on the food I enjoyed coming up in the post soon I promise.
But as well as great food, there was also drink and plenty of it which always pleases me. There was a bar with West on tap (yes on tap!) which also offered a selection of canned beers and ciders as well as soft drinks for the kids and those driving (did I mention the car park?).
As well as this, the guys from Charlie Mills Coffee (@charliemillscoffee) had a van serving anything from a ‘plain’ old coffee to espresso martinis. And what street food event would be complete without the years must have drink; Prosecco, which was provided in abundance by The Prosecco Tap.
Throw in a healthy dose of spirits available at the bar and cocktails (Blood Mary’s for anyone recovering from a wild night beforehand) there’s not much lacking at Big Feed.
For anyone still not convinced then Big Feed is also child friendly, dog friendly and had some excellent live music on throughout the weekend. The atmosphere was laid back and casual and while it was busy, it wasn’t over-crowded and the food trucks didn’t have massive queues which is always a bonus!
So let’s talk about the food, it’s called Chris Eats after all! Obviously a man can only eat so much, so I apologise to those I haven’t tried but I can safely say I’ll be back and working my way through the lot. That said having found myself at the Merchant City Festival the following weekend where Big Feed was on tour I did get round to trying a fair few.
On my whistle stop tour was The Buffalo Truck, The Prague Shack, Burrito and Street Food Putter Club.
THE BUFFALLO TRUCK
Follow: @thebuffalotruck
After weeks of following these guys on Instagram and practically drooling over their pictures our paths finally aligned so I of course made a beeline there for breakfast! Their menu is short, sweet and to the point.
Given the choice between 3 versions of their award winning buttermilk chicken burgers there was only ever going to be one winner for me, the clue’s kinda in the name after all! The Buffalo (£6) did not disappoint!
The fried chicken was as far removed from anything you might have experienced before at a fast food eatery, crisp and juicy and with a generous helping of both tangy hot and blue cheese sauces. All of this was served on a toasted bun with some lettuce, simple but effective.
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day then this was the best start to a day I’d had in a long time! There’s not really much else to say, they do what they do and they do it extremely well.
Rating: 5/5
THE PRAGUE SHACK
Follow: @pragueshack
Next up on the menu was The Prague Shack. I’ll admit I didn’t know too much about these guys prior to showing up but having been to Prague several times and enjoying the food markets there I was sure I was in for something good.
This feeling only grew as I spoke to the guys in the truck while they prepared my shredded duck (£7) with red cabbage and potato dumplings and the smell drifted out around me. Like most food trucks, the menu was short but this one was also packed with great offerings.
As well as the duck, there was beef goulash, chicken schnitzel, fried cheese and some tradition Czech sweet treats for the dessert seekers out there. The Duck was superb and trying it in a different context (outwith the usual Chinese pancakes) with red cabbage and potato definitely worked.
My only criticism was there was no sauce or spice with it but then that’s just me and I still thoroughly recommend it. In fact, at the Merchant City festival I got the second stamp on my loyalty card by trying the goulash (£6.50)! Again the food was excellent and the dumplings with the goulash were more traditional and I’d definitely ask for these with the duck next time!
Rating: 4.5/5
BURRITO
Follow: @burrito71
Last up on day one of Big Feed was Burrito. The Mexican establishment seems to have been at a few events I’ve been at and this was the first time I’ve taken the plunge and ordered.
Their menu was simple, a choice of 3 different fillings: chipotle pulled pork; BBQ beef brisket and spiced sweet potato, served in a stuffed burrito or as soft shell tacos. I opted for the pork and beef tacos (2 for £5) given what I’d already eaten and also some jalapeno poppers (£3) because, well, who can resist jalapeno poppers?
The food was good, especially the chipotle pulled pork but again I couldn’t help but feel there was something missing: spice! When I think Mexican I think spicy and it just didn’t hit the spot for me.
Rating: 3.5/5
STREET FOOD PUTTER CLUB
Follow: @streetfoodputterclub
Without doubt the highlight of the Merchant City Festival was my visit(s) to Street Food Putter Club. These guys are another bunch I’ve been following on Instagram and been patiently waiting to visit! Thankfully I was not disappointed.
The Big Caddy burger (£6) was the best burger I’ve had in Glasgow bar none. The bacon jam was well worth the extra pound and quite possibly the best addition to a burger since the humble gherkin. If you’ve not tried this burger then I highly recommend you change that.
After grabbing a quick afternoon pint to ‘cleanse’ the palette… I decided to try the boneless chicken bites. I bought a portion of each on offer: Korean BBQ and buffalo sauce with blue cheese dip (£3 each) and was not disappointed. I’d struggle to choose a favourite between them but gun to head I’d be back for the buffalo and blue cheese boneless bites!
Rating: 5/5
BIG FEED REVIEW
Food: 4.5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Value for Money: 5/5
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