We Visit Long Eaton’s Street Food Kitchen, Winner of the Blue Ribbon Good Food Award for Cafes

Hear the words ‘street food’ and you’ll likely picture a pretentious and overpriced piece of meat on a stick, scattered with some limp leaves if you’re lucky – read: any London food market. Here in Notts, however, we know how to do things properly. Street Food Kitchen is the place to be for proper authentic grub, albeit not from the back of a van (unless you want it on the go, that is, since they do actually have a food truck too). 

I’m visiting for breakfast after the Long Eaton haunt received the Blue Ribbon ‘Good Food Award’ for cafes.  Having opened during the whirlwind that was lockdown 2020, it’s a pretty impressive accolade for a business operating in such tumultuous times. Based on customer reviews, recipients are chosen for their food quality, service, and value - three things Street Food Kitchen certainly don’t falter on. The regular customers that greet me in the cafe confirm as much before I’d even tasted the menu myself (turns out those Long Eatonians are a friendly bunch).

In fact, it was those friendly folk who encouraged owners Phil and Julie to nominate themselves for the award. “Customers suggested that we should try and put ourselves forward for it so we gave it a go,” says Phil. Run by the power duo (and them alone), they’re now opening on fortnightly Friday evenings and hope to expand their catering service to sell in workplaces in the city too. So, if all goes well, you can soon grab some tasty and affordable tucker on your lunch hour.

Their business model still has remnants of those rocky COVID times. Phil and Julie offer deliveries - available from all your favourite fast-food pedallers - as well as running private events. From weddings to corporate conferences and everything in between, they’ve got you covered. Usually one person runs the event while the other holds the fort at the cafe, open weekdays and Saturdays from 8 ‘til 2. (At this point, I’m not ruling out superpowers.)

The food truck joined the family later in the game. “Our events were going really well, so we thought we’d just stick to what we know and add the van into the mix,” Phil tells me. “Once we had it, those events were so much easier. We can open up, serve straight away, and we just close up when we’re done.” 

If you fancy venturing out to support them in the cafe itself, you’ll be in for a treat. You wouldn’t think you’d just stepped off of College Street as you cross the threshold. Sat across from the Italian Vespa decor and a vintage ‘citron’ sign, I wasn't precisely certain what the setting was supposed to be, but it felt like a minibreak in the Med. 

This cosmopolitan theme is very much a reflection of the food itself, an entire melting pot of cultural influences crowding the menu. A look at their flatbread options tells you as much. The toasted ciabattas come in a range of different options, with sumptuous toppings ranging from BBQ pulled pork with Monterey jack cheese to tandoori chicken and mango chutney, complete with an onion bhaji. Phil and Julie used to have a pizza oven, but after the world and his wife caught onto the pizza craze, the idea for these quirkier dishes was born. “That’s why we started the pulled meat and flatbreads,” says Phil. “People love them - they think it’s something a bit different.” 

I opt for the Greek-inspired lemon and herb grilled chicken with a heavy drizzle of tzatziki - not your usual breakfast meal, I know, but I was promised good things of chef Phil’s specialty dish, and it did not disappoint. (The peri peri chips included as a side added another layer of exoticism, proving there really are no limits for this gal at 10 o'clock in the morning.) 

For those looking for a more traditional brekkie, there’s your greasy fry-up (the beef sausages add that exotic spin to your British cult classic) and the likes of salmon and avo on toast for the more trendy and health conscious among us (this one won’t break the bank, either - Kirstie Allsopp, eat your heart out). 

To use a cliche, there really is something for everyone. And as their sparkly new award shows, it tastes pretty darn good, too. Don’t just take our word for it though, go try it for yourself - it’s worth the trip down the A52.

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