With Scotland's top street food vendors heading to the capital to compete for the chance to be crowned the country's best, people who visited the popular street food location over the weekend were asked to vote on their favourite dishes.
• READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Edinburgh’s coolest street food venue the pitt
Guest judges Ben Reade, of Edinburgh Food Studio and Scott Smith of Fhior, were also on hand to check out the food on offer and help to pick the winning dish.
The winners with the judging panel. Picture: Plate Expectations/Ailidh Forlan
From crispy haggis bao buns to venison pastrami sliders, the event promises to showcase a range of flavours from Scotland’s thriving street food scene.
Hal Prescott, the pitt’s founder, who organised organised a road closure with the council for the event, said: "We were extra excited to invite the best traders from all across the country to our home in Leith to fight it out and be crowned Scottish Champions. The Awards are always a special event.”
• READ MORE: The story of the man who set out to bring Peruvian street food to Scotland’s capital
After two days of those in attendance trying the exciting dishes on offer, The Buffalo Truck was eventually voted as the People’s Choice, meaning founder Robin Strigner is now the most decorated trader in the history of Scottish Street Food after his previous wins at the Awards.
Top Edinburgh-based food bloggers Adele Conn and Ailidh Forlan from Tartan Spoon and Plate Expectations joined Smith and Reade to help pick the winner of the Champion trophy.
It came down to five traders and five exciting dishes. The jerk chicken from Fatboys (“top cooking, to keep the chicken moist” said Ailidh); ceviche from the Peruvian (“so fresh” said Scott); the classic chicken burger from the Buffalo Truck (“just perfection” said Ben); the white pizza from Wanderers Kneaded (“I loved the walnuts” said Adele); and the cardamom, cinnamon and rose water ice cream from Moo Pie (“Wow” said Ailidh).
Though there was much debate, Wanderers Kneaded eventually won out.
Speaking about their excellent white pizza, Ben Reade said: “I lived in Italy for four years and it’s better than anything I’ve ever had."
Founder Francesco Bani, who is originally from Italy, serves sourdough pizzas cooked in a woodfired oven in an old-school food truck, will now join Robin Strigner and Buffalo Truck representing Scotland at the finals of the 2019 British Street Food Awards supported by Hellmann’s in London this autumn.
And, should they do well there, the finals of the 2019 European Street Food Awards in Malmo in September.
• Street Food Scotland (published by Black & White on October 24th 2019) - features recipes and stories from the best traders all over Scotland, and is already on pre-sale on Amazon
