PULLED pork everywhere? Check. Giant, phallic frankfurters? Check. Live music? Check. We're familiar with the street food festival recipe by now. And on paper, Urban Food Fest had all the right ingredients to form another succesful street food event, after all, it's found much success down in Shoreditch.
Not so much in Manchester, not this time.
While the weather is much to blame here, the Urban Food Fest still lacked vibrancy. Post-8pm it was left to one man and his guitar to keep up the spirits. They needed Glenn Miller's big band.
On Saturday 28 February, the group launched its first street food party outside of London in the Euro Car Parks on Deansgate (opposite the Hilton). Its fifteen trucks pitched-up and served-up from 5pm until midnight, with popular Manchester vendors such as Piggie Smalls, Al's BBQ Shack and Ginger's Emporium (ice cream in February?) in attendance.
Prices averaged around £5 per dish and there was a good selection of ales and cocktails - so nothing we haven't seen before, then. It seemed the Shoreditch lot weren't planning on reinventing the wheel.
Philly Cheese Steak by Als BBQ Shack
While their main Manchester competition - Guerrilla Eats and Friday Food Fight - have all acquired large indoor spaces, the Urban Food Fest was thrown open to the elements. Safe to say, the North West weather wasn't on their side. It was cold, wet and miserable, not even a giant 'chilli con Kanye hotdog' could heat up the atmosphere.
Perhaps late-February with blustery Noah's Ark-tic weather wasn't the best time to launch an outdoor party in the North. Come summer, when the hordes do the usual migration to nearby Deansgate favourite Dukes 42 for outdoor terrace drinks and a tan, this set-up would have been far better received - everything is better when the sun is shining.
And while the weather is much to blame here, the Urban Food Fest still lacked vibrancy. Post-8pm it was left to one man and his guitar to keep up the spirits. They needed Glenn Miller's big band.
Still, the food on offer was good. The British pork sliders, Italian ham and basil wood fired pizza, Middle Eastern falafel wraps were all delicious.
Problem was to enjoy street food you need fingers... and I couldn't feel mine. Three months too early, chaps, I'm afraid.
Urban Food Fest will take place at Euro Car Park on Deansgate (opposite The Hilton) every Saturday from 28 February until October.
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