Cate Devine
Well, talk about a U-turn. It seems the people of Glasgow - you know, the old industrial city that has the worst diet in the world and whose people like to gorge on chips and deep-fried Mars Bars - are desperate to embrace the grassroots food revolution that has been taking place in their city under the radar. Moreover, they are planning to out it with a high-profile street food festival that would showcase freshly prepared local produce, different styles of cooking and new and creative dishes, all at moderate prices.
An online survey launched jointly by Glasgow City Council and Scottish Enterprise to ascertain whether there is an appetite from the public and in the industry for a street food presence in the city centre concluded yesterday [Friday], having garnered an impressive 2000 responses within the first two weeks.
The vast majority was in favour, be it for an indoor, outdoor, permanent, weekly, daily, lunchtime, evening, street food festival or permanent market. One of the most surprising indicators of change is that the availability of alcohol and car parking came way down the list of priorities. By contrast, 98% said freshly prepared food was most important, 92% said different types of food, 89% said reasonable pricing, while 84% said new and creative foods were most important.
I'm told people weren't so keen on the question as to whether non-cooking stalls should be allowed in: only 58% said they'd like something along the lines of a farmers' or producers' market, and a measly 11% said they'd like a craft market where soaps, candles and carved wooden cheeseboards are on sale alongside the food. So there's a clear desire to focus purely on innovative hot dishes cooked on site.
This is encouraging. Finally, it appears that we want to join London, Manchester, Copenhagen, New York and other food-forward cities in having a showcase for quality cooking in the city centre.
Of course it's early days, and the feasibility report by Glasgow-based economic and social research company EKOS giving recommendations is yet to be published (we'll have to wait until mid-July for that). But all indications are that demand is definitely there, so something must happen this year; Glasgow City Council are no doubt mindful of the success of the independent street food operators in the Merchant City and on Glasgow Green during the Commonwealth Games last July and want to keep that momentum going; most stall holders said that Glaswegians were their best customers.
It's a pity they won't be in a position to mount anything before next month, a year on from the Games. It's more likely that pilot events will take place around September to test the water. I wonder if the massive interest generated by the upcoming Let's Eat Glasgow restaurant festival, which takes place in September in the West End at SWG3 courtesy of the newly-formed not-for-profit chef co-operative Real Food Real Folk, has given the council the nudge it desperately needed.
Indoor or outdoor? Personally I'm ambivalent but realistically an indoor event is more practical - even if an indoor street food market is a culinary oxymoron.
So where? I love the idea of the rundown and neglected Savoy Centre or Barras Market becoming the focus of the city's foodie regeneration. That would arguably bring in the demographic that needs to experience innovative and, hopefully, healthy cooking. The Briggait's another. But if outdoors, Glasgow's many New York type lanes would be pretty thrilling if done well. There's also the untapped resource of the banks of the River Clyde, so shamefully under-used during the Games.
I'll be interested to see how many established restaurants take part, and how many young entrepreneurs step in, with an eye on eventually opening their own restaurant. I do hope there will be a proper quality control so that street food a la Glasgow is not dominated by bought-in burgers and frozen chips.
A regular streetfood event can help talented young chefs establish their style of cooking, their brand and their customers as well as the confidence to think bigger and eventually to establish their own restaurant. This is, of course, exactly what Jonathan McDonald and Andy MacSween did. They made their reputations with Scoop pop-up events and the Street Food Cartel before establishing Ox and Finch, the Glasgow restaurant that gained a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin guide within months of opening last year.
They were able to identify customers from their large network of social media followers, thereby instantly creating that vital buzz in the first few days and weeks of opening. They have managed to create that rare thing: a demographic of younger foodies who appreciate eating locally sourced food cooked well and at moderate prices. This is evident in the popularity of other independent restaurants in the Finnieston Quarter, such as The Gannet, Crabshakk and the like.
It would be heartening to think that Glasgow and Scottish Enterprise want to encourage more of this kind of independent venture in the city centre, which at the moment is dominated by the large burger chains.
Then the world might take heed of the city's changing relationship with food.
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