Licensee hoping for ‘wild card’ vote in British Street Food Awards 2015

Nick Attfield, licensee of Adnams pubs the Bell Inn in Walberswick and Harbour Inn in Southwold,  competed in the Central and East Heat of the awards in Oxford from the 2 to 4 May with his mobile Fish Hut, but was beaten by  vegan sushi concept Happy Maki in a public vote to win the heat.

He served around 350 portions of fish and chips over the three day festival. There were 14 street food concepts at the event.

Public vote​

Attendees to the British Street Food Festival at Oxford Castle, where the first heat took place, decided the heat winner by voting for their favourite concepts on an app.  

But competition judges, which include Noble Inns’ executive chef Neil Rankin, chef Matt Tebbutt formerly of the Foxhunter at Abergavveny, Richard Johnson, founder of the British Street Food Awards and Lisa Markwell, editor of The Independent on Sunday are also selecting finalists in some awards, with Attfield still hopeful of a place in the final.

The award’s heats run from May until September at British Street Food Festivals around the UK, culminating in a final in London from 25 to 27 September.

The Fish Hut served cones of deep-fried Lowestoft cod in Adnams dry hopped lager batter, served with chips, minted, creamed and mushed peas and homemade tartare sauce with jalapeno (£5) at the festival.

Attfield said: “We had a very long weekend of frying through heavy downpours, but it was a lovely event with 14 traders dotted around Oxford Castle, interspersed with family games and live music. Our best day was Sunday when it rained! Maybe the Great British public best connect fish and chips with awful weather?!”

He added: “We are hoping to get a judges’ wild card vote to get to the final in London.”

Previous winner​

The Fish Hut won the Best Main Dish category in these awards in both 2010 and 2012.

Attfield uses the Fish Hut at his two pubs to cater for the crowds during the peak summer period and at around 25 special events each year such as festivals. It is given a fresh design each year by a local artist and  features mermaids, a Lowestoft fishing boat, a sandpit and seagulls. Sounds of waves crashing and seagulls are also played in the Fish Hut.

Pub residencies competing​

Other competitors in the awards include DogTown hot dogs who run the food offer at Breakfast Group bar the Social in Fitzrovia, London, and the Rib Man who sells his food outside the Boleyn Tavern in East London on every West Ham home game.

For tickets to the British Street Food Festivals,  visit www.britishstreetfood.co.uk/festival​