Cape Town’s first ever street food festival will take place at Side Street Studios in Woodstock this Sunday, 27 July 2014. This festival showcases local street food cuisine and provides a platform for street food entrepreneurs, and is a way to preserve age old cultural traditions.

Street food festivals have been trendy – and trending- all over the world for some time now and Cape Town’s very first promises to be the fantastic culinary and social experience that you could only expect in the unique  hub that is South Africa’s mother city.

Remember the excitement of going to fetes and getting to eat all those special fete foods that you didn’t eat at home, like sausage-on-sticks,  corn dogs, candy floss  and toffee apples? A street food fair is just like the grown up equivalent of that experience! It’s essentially a street fair, celebrating the character and local street food of the area.

So what exactly is street food? Street food is ready-made food and drink sold in the street or at other public places by vendors –  often from portable stalls. According to a study by the Food and Agriculture Organization, some 2.5 billion people eat street food every day. From Cape Town to Pho in Vietnam, street food makes up around 40% of the diet of urban consumers in developing countries. Historically, street food existed because the urban poor didn’t have their own kitchens in their homes. Today, people still love the tradition of street food because it tends to be cheaper and quicker than eating out at restaurants while still being a social experience. In some instances, it is the only way to experience certain ethnic cuisines (other than cooking it yourself) as there are no restaurants which serve it.

With Cape Town’s multi-cultural population, street food could include a diverse smorgasbord of boerewors rolls, burgers, sushi, falafel, bunny chow, curry, slap chips, calamari, dim sum and prego rolls to name but a few. You may even come across some walkie talkies!

In addition to the food market, there will be a series of talks by some of Cape Town’s most successful street food entrepreneurs.

Topics of the Talks include:
– Tips for getting started and making it work
– Building a brand
– Marketing
– Knowing when to say no
– Business planning
– Street vs retail
– Important moments along the journey
– What can set you apart from other street food businesses

Guest speakers include Yang Zhao from Beijing Opera, Matthew Freemantle and Andrew Kai of Gusto, Kate Schrire of The Creamery, Andy Fenner of Fenner Meat Merchants, Max Mogale, Dewald Brand and Jade de Waal of In Foreign Transit, Tebogo Mokama of Kopanong Ko Moveine and the now renowned Wongama Baleni of the Department of Coffee.

The Department of Coffee received a lot of media attention earlier this year, as the only locally owned artisanal coffee shop and espresso bar in the townships. This unique initiative that brings coffee culture to the townships was started with funding from the Ministry of Service and is based in Khayalitsha.

The day will be rounded off with a special street food dinner collaboration, prepared by some of the speakers.

The festival starts at 9am and the food market runs until 3pm. Entrance to the market is free and everyone is welcome. To attend the Talks and Dinner, book at Quicket.

Hope to see you there!