Latest news with #BritishStreetFoodAwards
Daily Record
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Scotland's best street food spots crowned as Edinburgh eateries claim top prizes
The popular will compete in the British Street Food Awards in London this September and may reach the European final in Munich in October Two street food favourites are set to represent the country on an even bigger stage after taking top honours at this year's Scottish Street Food Awards 2025. Smoked Tamago, known for its contemporary Japanese-Korean dishes, was crowned Scottish Street Food Award Champion, while Fire Bowl, specialists in fiery East Asian fusion, scooped the People's Choice Award. Both will now head to London in September to compete in the British Street Food Awards, with the chance to reach the European final in Munich this October. Smoked Tamago wowed the judges with its signature seaweed Tamagoyaki, a fluffy Japanese rolled egg, and a Korean-style rice burger. Headlining a line-up of nine finalists, each trader presented their two best dishes to a formidable panel, including Sam Yorke, Head Chef at Michelin-starred Heron; Jo Laidlaw, Food & Drink Editor at The List Edinburgh; musician Callum Easter; Gaby Soutar, restaurant critic at The Scotsman; Navida Galbraith, Head of Ops and Programme at The Pitt; and British Street Food Awards founder Richard Johnson. 'We always hope to find something completely different and new when judging these awards and that's exactly what Smoked Tamago served up,' said Johnson. 'The unique mix of sweet, savoury and smokiness in the Tamagoyaki was incredible, and all of the judges agreed the rice burger was a revelation.' Smoked Tamago has a history of breaking new ground. After introducing Tamagoyaki to the Hong Kong street food scene in 2016, where it quickly became a sensation, the team relocated to Scotland. Since then, they've built a loyal following through pop-ups and events, with regular appearances at Errol Sunday Market and the Leith Walk Police Box. With every made-to-order roll, they're on a mission to spread 'the gospel of the mighty Tamagoyaki'. Meanwhile, Fire Bowl, based at The Pitt, impressed enough eaters to take the People's Choice award. Their chicken skewers were hailed by judges as 'some of the best ever tasted'. The street food stall was born from a trip across East Asia, where founders Andie and Euan ate their way from Seoul to Osaka. Today, Fire Bowl blends those inspirations with Scottish flair, from donburi bowls and yakitori skewers to Highland beef with whisky tare and their signature 'neep' kimchi. Dumpling Mama took second place in the overall Best in Scotland award, with beautifully crafted dumplings that the judges described as 'exquisitely presented and perfectly balanced'. Serving up a mix of Cantonese flavours and creative global twists, including Mexican Cowboy dumplings and even Banana and Nutella, Dumpling Mama prides itself on its handmade approach and vibrant recipes passed down through generations. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. In joint third were Oven Pizza and Fire Bowl. Oven Pizza, based in Fife, earned praise for 'light and delicious' Neapolitan-style pizzas made with luxury ingredients imported from Italy. The family-run business has become known for its cheeky Scottish twists on Italian classics, from fried mozzarella to dirty fries, and promises a culinary tour through Venice, Florence and Naples. Reflecting on the quality of this year's finalists, Navida Galbraith, Head of Ops and Programme at The Pitt, said: 'It was a really tough job judging the nine amazing finalists. "All of them did themselves proud and we've had an incredible time hosting them at The Pitt. Smoked Tamago and Fire Bowl are worthy winners and we wish them the best of luck representing Scotland at the British Street Food Awards in September.'
Scotsman
30-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Award-winning Scottish street food bar and restaurant with ‘best Sunday roast' announces closure
An award-winning restaurant and bar in Edinburgh will close at the end of the month. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Junk in Newington in Edinburgh is set to close for good on Saturday 31 May. The restaurant and bar grew from a small street food business, which was named best street food at the 2022 British Street Food Awards. Junk are Cam and Jade, who started their business as a blog, which developed into a recipe site that then led to their street food venture within a few months in 2022. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Junk restaurant and bar opened in Newington later that year, but despite rave reviews, the premises will close due to the current climate. Junk restaurant and bar in Newington will close this weekend | Junk Posting on their social media the team wrote: 'Dearest Friends, Family and Guests, 'We are truly devastated to announce the closure of Junk, Bar & Restaurant. We will be opening our doors for the final time this Saturday, 31st May. 'For the past three years, we have poured every ounce of our lives into this business — working countless hours each and every day to try to make it a success. Although we have failed, we are immensely proud of what we have achieved, and so grateful to our incredible team, past and present, for their passion, hard work, and belief they have shared with us every step of the way. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We started with very little — selling some wee bits in a gazebo one summer, before building and launching a restaurant from scratch. We learned to tile, floor, grout, screed, paint, and plaster. Creating a space that housed our wee dream. All of this was done alongside our talented friend and Head Chef, Stu, who's been with us from day one. We're eternally grateful for your dedication Stuggy. 'To all who have supported us over the last few years, our incredible friends and family, as well as you wonderful folks that have come to eat our Junk - Thank You! Your feedback, kind words, and enthusiasm has pushed us forward to deliver what we believed was great food and service. You helped us realise our dream and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your love and support has meant the world to us. 'To the restaurants still managing to turn a profit in this climate — we commend you. The odds have been firmly stacked against us all. Through passion and sheer hope, we've kept our doors open as long as we possibly could. The heartbreaking reality is that we're one of many businesses either struggling or being forced to close. Please do what you can, if you can, to support local. Our biggest question is: at what point will the leaders of our government and country take action, implement meaningful change, and start supporting small, independent businesses? 'Our final service will be this coming Saturday, 31st May. We'd love for you to come down in these next few days, raise a dram with us, and send Junk off with a bang.'
