The 15 must-try dishes at the Scottish Street Food Awards

Scotland's top street food vendors are heading to Edinburgh this weekend to compete for the chance to be crowned the country's best.

Published 14th Jun 2019
Updated 9 th Aug 2023

The Scottish Street Food Awards, supported by Hellmann’s, will take place at leading street food venue, the pitt, on 15 and 16 June with traders trying to impress guest judges, Ben Reade, of Edinburgh Food Studio and Scott Smith of Fhior.

If you're heading along, we recommend these tasty treats...

Moskito's Crusty Chorizo Roll

Picture: Moskito's crusty chorizo roll

Pablo Moscardo says: "We make our 'Crusty Chorizo Roll' with authentic Spanish chorizo that is so loved over here in Scotland!

"The red colour that is so characteristic of chorizo comes from a special paprika known as "pimentón", and this special ingredient really makes Spanish chorizo different.

"Our chorizo is cooked on the grill and tucked in to a crusty bread roll, before we smother it in melted gouda cheese, savoury sautéed onions and top it with handmade chimichurri sauce. Seriously mouth-watering stuff."

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Ginger and Chilli's paneer bao bun

Picture: Ginger and Chill's Asian bao bun

Ronan Vallelly says: "One of our favourites is an Indian take on a classic Taiwanese dish, with our paneer bao bun.

"We take a steamed fluffy bun, fill it with marinated paneer cheese, our Jaipur slaw, green chutney, sour mango & jaggery sauce, and top it all off with spring onions, herbs & Bombay mix

"We are also working on a special banh mi bao for the Scottish awards – another fluffy bun filled with pulled lemongrass pork, Asian Slaw, umami mayo, sriracha satay sauce, pickles, herbs, and a crushed shrimp cracker – a real explosion of flavour and texture."

Moo Pie's the pickle ‘wich

Picture: The Pickle'wich

"We are thrilled to introduce our ice cream sandwich – the pickle ‘wich," says Moo Pie's Emma Riddell.

"The pickle 'wich is our favourite gelato sandwich, featuring pickle gelato made using Aye Pickled's bread and butter pickles, with a cream cheese base.

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"This is then sandwiched in between two chewy pretzel cookies and topped off with the Marshmallow Lady's toasted mallow fluff.

"Tangy, salty, and sweet, this is our celebration of awesome local produce and is an absolute must-try."

Prime Street Food's beef brisket

Picture: Coffee and maple syrup brisket, ready to be served from Prime Street Food

Prime Street Food's Scott Gibson says: "Our one and only maple syrup and coffee beef brisket is cooked and served with a creamy Scandinavian Béarnaise sauce, before being tucked in a sourdough brioche and served to hungry customers.

"The depth of flavour in the brisket with the rich sauce, stuffed in a soft bun is just epic – and we’ve got more up our sleeve for people to try this weekend."

Faceplant's The Reuben

The vegan Reuben from Faceplant

"All our food comes from a place of nostalgia, and we love making dishes that as a vegan you may not have had in many years or thought you'd never eat again – like cheesy fries or macaroni," James McCafferty from Faceplant says.

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"We want to bring back melty cheeze sandwiches and real comfort food that happens to be completely plant-based to boot.

"The Reuben is our best selling and all-round customer favourite ‘Grilled Cheeze’ sandwich. We handcraft the vegan pastrami & cheese in small batches so it’s super fresh, and uniquely available from our stall."

The Peruvian's Leche de tigre ceviche

Picture: Leche de Tigre ceviche

"We have so many delicious dishes we want people to be able to try – it’s really hard to choose just one, says Carlo Carozzi.

"We love our anticuchos (cow hearts) and our award-winning snack, Leche de tigre ceviche, and we’re super passionate about bringing real South American flavours to the people of Scotland.

"Our Leche de tigre ceviche takes fresh fish, marinates it in a uniquely Peruvian combination of citrus juices, and then we add red onion, tomato, coriander, zesty lime and salt – it’s a simple combination, but a real customer favourite."

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Fatboys' New Orleans Gumbo

dishes at the Scottish Street Food Awards

Picture: Fatboys' New Orleans Gumbo

"Our twist on a New Orleans Gumbo is our most popular dish and definitely one of my favourite things to cook, Joe Peden says.

"It’s an incredible hearty, intense stew made with chicken, chorizo and prawns, served with fresh rice to balance the richness.

"Though Gumbo is a classic dish that’s been served for years – we’re punching up the flavour into something you won’t forget in a hurry."

The Shawarma Shack's house spiced chicken shawarma

Picture: Soft flatbread, roasted garlic hummus, Levant spiced chicken from The Shawarma Shack

Fin Duff-White of The Shawarma Shack says: "One of our star dishes absolutely has to be the house spiced chicken shawarma, or, as dubbed by the fans - "The House".

"The base is a soft fresh flatbread spread with stunning roasted garlic hummus, and then topped with slow cooked pulled chicken that's been marinated in spices from the Levant. We cook it sous vide so it stays juicy and full of flavour.

"Then we load it with our fresh, zesty Sumac onion slaw, some herby zhoug, lots of coriander and lemon and a sprinkle of smoky chilli to finish. It’s a favourite for a reason."

The Redshank's Fraserburgh smoked haddock kedgeree burrito

dishes at the Scottish Street Food Awards

Picture: Fraserburgh smoked haddock kedgeree burrito from The Redshank

"We’re so excited to be bringing our Fraserburgh smoked haddock kedgeree burrito to the street food awards this weekend, Jamie Ross says.

"We combine our own blend of madras spices along with fresh onion, chilli, ginger and garlic to infuse the rice in the burrito, and then we add in our own mix of egg mayonnaise, infused with same aromatic spices, some mango chutney and fresh coriander.

"This is then layered inside a warm burrito wrap with all the spicy rice, incredible smoked haddock, curried egg and spring onion for wee bit of bite. Rolled, sealed and served, it’s something pretty special."

Wanderers Kneaded's pizza topped with ‘friarielli’

Picture: Wanderers Kneaded

"Our pizza topped with ‘friarielli’, smoked mozzarella, and pulled pork is one of my favourites, says Francesco Bani.

"‘Friarielli’ which many call ‘wild broccoli’ or ‘turnip tops’ are sizzled with oil, garlic and chillies and fight for space on the pizza with our unbelievable 10-hour pulled pork.

"Cooked slowly on a wood fire overnight, this is one of our juiciest toppings – and then we cover it with a blanket of silky smoked mozzarella for a depth of flavour that will blow your mind and then some."

barnacles & bones' hanger steaks

Picture: barnacles & bones signature hanger steak

Hal Prescott says: "We like to keep things simple and fresh – and we let our brick-built BBQ do the talking.

"We’re dedicated to showcasing amazing ingredients and unusual cuts of meat, and we serve up everything from lobster to ribs, but our hanger steaks are definitely a signature dish.

"Rich, meaty, and smoky from the flames on our BBQ, we pair it with crispy, fluffy tarragon fries that soak up all the steak juices."

ShrimpWreck's shrimp bun

Picture: ShrimpWreck's signature Shrimp Bun.

"Our shrimp bun is definitely our signature dish. It's the first item we ever sold and hasn't left the menu since with good reason, says ShrimpWreck's Ewen Hutchinson.

"We take four large and juicy king prawns, and cook them in a light batter that we’ve perfected over years of testing.

"These juicy, crunchy prawns combined with salty, smoky bacon and sharp tangy pickles makes these buns borderline addictive."

The Buffalo Truck's buffalo chicken burger

Picture: Buffalo Truck

"The buffalo chicken burger is our signature dish and one I’m really proud of, says Robin Strigner

"You get crunch from the coating, juicy chicken, and it’s drenched in not one but two sauces: buttery hot sauce and creamy blue cheese sauce.

"It’s lovely and messy and encased in a soft brioche bun – no cutlery needed! Our pro-tip is to make sure you ask for pickles and take everything to the next level."

Melted's loaded nachos

dishes at the Scottish Street Food Awards

Picture: Melted's all year round nachos.

"Melted is a place, as the name suggests, where it's all about melted cheese. For us, it really is a case of the more the better, Mark Hand says.

"Our favourites change all the time – we serve up everything from Raclette, to the infamous Philly cheese Steaks, and loaded nachos that practically swim in cheese, topped with fresh guacamole and salsa – perfect in the sunshine, or to warm you up on a chilly day – they’re an all-year favourite."

Ròst's Panko-crusted Veggie Haggis Bao Bun

Picture: Ròst's fluffy crispy veggie haggis bao buns

"The Panko-crusted Veggie Haggis Bao Bun is one of my favourite dishes ever, as it marries the traditional Scottish dish of haggis with Asian fusion flavours and textures, Scott Kirkham says.

"You have soft, pillowy steamed bao; crispy panko crusted haggis; rich, sticky, sweet, hoi sin sauce; crisp, fresh, aromatic vegetables and salted peanuts.

"It’s an absolute riot of amazing flavours, textures and influences – what more could you want?!"

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Known for cake making, experimental jam recipes, Champagne, whisky and gin drinking (and the inability to cook Gnocchi), Rosalind is the Food and Drink Editor and whisky writer for The Scotsman, as well as hosting Scran, The Scotsman's food and drink podcast.
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