I LOVE a burger. And not just any old burger... With the Streetfood revolution happening in…read moreBirmingham, I have become a burger snob. It's not good enough to just chuck any old beef onto a griddle and serve it in a sesame bun anymore. A great burger has locally sourced, fresh ingredients and has been thought about from start to finish. THAT's why Flying Cows gets a big ole' thumbs up from me. As one of the volunteers at the JQNF who arrange 24 Carrots, I love seeing new traders at our market. When I spotted Flying Cows on the list of people coming down - I was both intrigued and excited. Although they have appeared at super popular streetfood events across Birmingham, I hadn't come across them before. I decided to take a gamble last night and give them a try for my dinner. From the moment I walked over to Dan, I knew it was the right choice. After I had placed my order (beef burger with stilton - £4), Dan explained that it would take around 5 minutes to cook. This wasn't a problem as we filled the time talking about how he got started in the burger business and what was different about his food. Honestly, if you ever get a chance to chat to him - do! He's a lovely chap. My burger looked amazing! Unfortunately I ate it before I thought about getting a picture, however, it was meaty, cheesy and just fantastic. The bun was soft, the meat tasted and looked fresh and the cheese was the perfect accompaniment. It was one of the best burgers I have had in Birmingham (and I've tried most of the greats). Dan is relatively new on the scene, but he will be a big name before long. Check him out now (and have a natter) before he gets to the point where there are queues forming around the block!

Unlike the previous reviewer Im not a fan of burgers at all and a burger from a street vendor is…read moresomething Id normally avoid like the plague...BUT... there are burgers and then there are The Flying Cows Burgers..... there is just no comparison these are stunning... we had them at the Hare and Hounds Kings Heath Street Food Sunday Festival..... and it was very hard to stop at just one.....by boyfriend had two !!.... amazing.....

How can the makers of the very fine "Manwich" not have any reviews indeed? It's definitely time to…read morechange that... I first came across Barny and Flic's very fine van and it's offerings on my first trip to Digbeth Dining Club. Their beautiful green behemoth of a van offers Toasties... Nothing more, nothing less. Now, that might sound a little boring; but read on my dear friends! Let's start with the Manwich... As taken from their website: "The only toastie whose consumption deems you to be worthy of nothing less that the eternal reverence of your peers. A triple-decker leviathan of bacon, pastrami, ham, chorizo, cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack, onions, hot sauce and, of course, a 28 day aged 4oz Warwickshire steak." Sounds good right? It IS. You WON'T be hungry after this. They have less mega offerings and deal with locally sourced meats, cheeses and (of course) veggie offerings. If you aren't content with just savoury; they have also offered sweet toasties when I have visited. Think thick slabs of bread with chocolate spread, marshmellows, peanut butter.... You get the idea. Don't worry, my mouth is watering too (this is a really bad review to write when you're on a diet). The guys who run the van are great! On one visit to see the Jabberwocky, we had a natter about why they got started... Basically, to escape the daily grind the guys decided to be their own bosses and bought the truck, designed their menu and now wing their way around Leamington Spa and Birmingham dealing out delicious toasties to the hungry crowds at streetfood events and markets. As a side note, I believe you can also hire them to come and cater for your event... I don't think you would have any disappointed guests with these guys doing the food! A Manwich (from memory) was about £7/£8 - but was a beast of a meal. Other offerings start from around £6 and the dessert offerings are even less. If you haven't tried these guys before, go and say hi to Barny and Flic! You might just fall in love with this foodstuff of kings all over again...

Think of toasties as a dodgy Breville made snack from the 80's? You haven't eaten from The…read moreJabberwocky. Run by a couple who are focused on providing a delicious, locally sourced toastie assault on the taste buds. Well known for their triple deckers like The Manwich and Old McDonald which are packed with combinations of meats and cheese that you can only dream of. They've even put a whole Christmas dinner in a toastie! It doesn't stop there though there's also pudding! Think about Millionaires shortbread , Rocky Road or even good old banoffee. They've all been given the toastie treatment. So next time you spot the Jabberwocky van, head over and order the biggest toastie you can muster. You will not be disappointed! In fact you'll be hooked!

Have you tried Habanero's yet? As it's one of the only food vans to hit the streets of Birmingham…read morenearly every single day, you really don't have an excuse. On a cold, sunny day at the end of the year I just couldn't make my mind up where to eat (this is quite a usual occurrence). I had a quick wander around and then settled on Habanero's Mexican Street Food van (as I hadn't eaten there in quite a while)... And I'm so glad I did. I popped down on a Monday; when they offer free nacho's and a can of pop included with any burrito purchased. I also had my ever handy "Independent Birmingham" card in my pocket, so it was a bonus 10% off my order too - making my whole meal under £5! Being quite a hardy sort when it comes to spice, I opted for a beef burrito with loads of chilli peppers and the hottest sauce available. This was cooked up for me in front of my eyes and I had ordered, paid and received my order within 5 minutes. I may have been a little bit foolhardy when it came to the full shebang... I ended up looking like a little bit of a Panda (with eyeliner spreading all around my face and tears in my eyes) by the end of my meal; lesson learned though. These guys can do spicy. The burrito was delicious. Bursting with filling, the meat was cooked to perfection and the mix of the salads and sauces left my tongue tingling for hours afterwards. The nachos are plain, but as they are salty they present the perfect accompaniment to really bring out the flavours of the food. The reviews on here are pretty mixed, but I rate it. Street food can be found in many forms in the City - but I would definitely give Habanero's a go if you haven't as yet.

I was hoping for this to be up there... I'm somewhat disappointed :-(…read more I just didn't get the Mexican flavours I was expecting which is a shame. Maybe it's just me, I don't know? Having said that, I liked everything else about Habaneros and what they are doing, bringing in something different to Centenary square. :-)

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! Since being introduced to poutine I'm completely obsessed. However, they one…read morehave one store which is in Liverpool and the occasional pop up at Digbeth dining club. This is absolutely lethal when you're craving poutine!

Leave it to Esmie (or LITE catering) has been popping up at events all over Birmingham for the last…read morecouple of years. Offering Caribbean and seafood style food, this cute little stylised van is definitely one to look out for at Birmingham's popular foodie gatherings. On my last visit to Esmie I enjoyed Curry Mutton. This is such a tasty meat when cooked right and these guys have their fingers on the button when it comes to Jamaican favourites. Succulent and not at all tough, it was spiced fantastically to compliment the dark meat and provide a lip smacking meal. It was served in a spiced tortilla style bowl (which provided a solid base to hold the meal and a side to dip in when some of it had been eaten).... Perfect! I should probably mention that the rice and peas were also cooked perfectly and provided a lovely glutinous base for the curry to sit on. Now, Esmie may not be the cheapest option, but the prices definitely seems to be in line with other vendors at these events. Service is always accompanied with a smile and the atmosphere around the van is always as sunny as the personalities of the good folks that make the good. Next time you're in the mood for street food, give this little slice of Jamaica a look. The menu changes regularly and the food is good, meaning you'll have a little slice of sunshine (even when the weather might not reflect the mood)!

Last Friday saw the launch of Birmingham's newest Streetfood market to Birmingham. Welcome Brum Yum…read moreYum #Lunchmarket! Brainchild of Duncan, mastermind behind Brum Yum Yum's various incarnations throughout the city, the Lunchmarket does exactly what it says on the tin. Based in Central Birmingham's "The Square" (by the Oasis Centre), the market brings together some new names and old favorites on the foodie scene to create a chilled out spot for people in the City to grab some top quality grub that doesn't cost the earth. Traders on Friday provided a choice of wood fired pizza, vegan and vegetarian wares, Caribbean treats and a choice of Mexican delicacies to sate the lunch hunger. As well as food, beer and wines were provided in the #Beermarket unit (although it was a bit early for me to partake). The market will now be on every Friday until 1st August and runs from 12pm - 4pm (meaning you can always grab a post work beer if you finish early). Prices for food range from a couple of quid for satay up to £8 for a whole pizza. I chose a hotdog from Vegan Grindhouse which set me back a modest £4.50 with the pound off flyer that was given to me when I got there. There was a great atmosphere when I was there, even if I didn't stick around for too long (I had to run off to another meeting). I am planning to check it out again this week and see what foodie treats are in store in the next installment!

So Friday night brum yum yum has set up home in a new venue just behind the old DV8 club just off…read moreKent street near the gay village. Much to our surprise they were still setting up and had a few teething issues in the day which is understandable with a new venture like this. We met up with Duncan who was keen to show us around the new bar and dance floor area as they are working in partnership with the club next door. Outside were two stalls one selling fries with a twist of either Mexican flavours or Italian reasonably priced and great flavours too. I has the pastrami brisket which was salty and tender.. With added fire and tang from the fresh chillies and pickles. Loved the concept and wish them every success in the coming future. I'm looking forward to their main launch night in June.

Just bought coleslaw to go with my meal. They sent me off coleslaw that is clearly out of date. It…read morealso isn't fresh at all. Very appalled it had a bad smell from the minute I opened it. Disappointed.

Even with the current trend for pop ups and Streetfood in Birmingham, Caribbean food has been…read morehugely under represented in Birmingham's City Centre. There is normally a good selection at the Food Fair and Jamaican Independence festival (obviously), but not a lot else. Baileys has really stepped up to the mark. With a static location, gigantic steel BBQ and a gorgeous rich smell which fills The Square; they're on to a winner. Big props to Dave P. who alerted me to this gem of a stall a few weeks ago. I had been meaning to try it for a while, but after seeing Dave at our CMYE on Tuesday - it was agreed that Lunch WOULD happen. And it did. And it was sooooo good. With a reasonable selection of Caribbean favorites (Ackee and Saltfish, Rice and Pea etc) it was always clear what I was going to order. Jerk chicken. The godfather of all the chicken dishes. On a rainy Wednesday in Birmingham, it couldn't have been a better choice. It was clear on this particular day that Baileys were having some cooking issues, but we rocked up and were politely told that we COULD have Jerk, but not for 10 minutes. Not a problem for us (as they'd clearly just fired up the BBQ). It gave us a chance to go and mooch at the newest deliveries into Ignite Records in the Oasis (and for me to go and drool at the Hello Kitty merch on sale nearby). Within 10 minutes, we were back and ordering. I had Rice and pea, Jerk Chicken and a little bit of veg. For £6, it was a -very- reasonably sized portion. As an added bonus, Baileys also provides a small covered seating area (with a nifty Pacman decorated bench), so you can still enjoy some sunshine food in the pouring rain. I was mightily impressed with the level of spice, the sauce and the rich flavor of the Rice and Pea. I was so blown away, it was devoured in under 5 minutes. It was -THAT- good. Baileys could now become my "go-to" place for lunch on the run. Saying that, it strikes me that as the food is fresh you sometimes might have a bit of a wait. So... Go, give it a try. But make sure you have plenty of time!

Bare Bones Pizza are a streetfood van that can now be found at many of Birmingham's prominent…read morestreet eat events. The van is awesome! All the pizzas are wood fired in their oven in the van and are cooked fresh to order every single time. I first came across these guys at the foodie event outside the Council House and have sought them out at other events since. The menu changes often, but you can always expect great quality, fresh pizza served piping hot. As well as meat options, they can also do vegan and vegetarian pizza - so they can truly cater for everyone. Mike (the owner of Bare Bones) is a cheerful and helpful guy and is always up for a brief chat. You will be welcomed with a smile if you pop on by the van (which is easily seen due to the gigantic pizza motif on the side). I have tried the vegetarian and a meaty variety and both had lashings of cheese and plenty of toppings to tease the palate. Expect to pay around £7/£9 for a whole pizza, but you won't find many better in Brum!

Brilliant pizza, cooked in a wood burning oven, and all done in a van. What more can you ask for?…read more If you see this van and want something to eat, go try it.