‘I went to Northampton’s hottest street food pop-up for the first time – is it worth the hype?’

Having written about Northampton’s most-established street food and drink pop-up on many occasions, it was about time I gave into looking at the delicious pictures and paid a visit myself.

‘What better way to spend a bank holiday weekend,’ thought me and my parents as we booked our tickets for Bite Street last Sunday (May 7).

Bite Street weekend events typically run across Friday, Saturday and Sunday and with us booking for the final day, you always wonder how busy and atmospheric it is going to be.

If you didn’t already know, you can pre-book an hourly slot to arrive on your chosen day – which I can only assume helps the organisers ensure a steady flow of people at one time.

We booked for the first slot and arrived as it first opened at midday. As we peered over the walls around The County Cricket Ground to get a sneak peek into what was to come, we were surprised to see many people already making their way in.

When you arrive as an event opens, you always expect to be the first there – but it was nice to see many others were just as eager to get their hands on some delicious street food.

The three of us were met with a smile as we turned the corner and continued to wander towards the food vendors and the white marquees with seating.

The sun was shining, music was playing and we could already smell the food vans cooking up a storm and getting ready for their first customers.

Ahead of sitting down, we took a look round the traders to get a feel for what they were all about.

With five savoury options and one trader offering sweet treats, we were spoiled for choice.

One thing to consider when going to Bite Street is that all ordering, for both food and drinks, is done using a QR code on your table – and the majority of vendors will only accept card payments.

We began by ordering our drinks, which you pay for by card and they are brought over to your table.

No sooner had we ordered, they were brought over by a member of staff.

Then came the tough decision of deciding what to eat – and the choice was between Greek food from La Pitta, halloumi fries from Streetchef, dumplings and bao buns from Fashion Bake, meaty options from Broke ‘n Bone, and Mexican food from Baja Cantina.

Baja Cantina came out on top for me and my parents, with two of us ordering gringo tacos filled with 13-hour slow cooked brisket and the other ordering the chipotle chicken taco alternative.

When you order and pay for your food through the QR code, you then have to wait for a text message to alert you that your food is ready to collect from that trader’s van.

As we were among the first batch of people to enter the event on Sunday, it took no longer than 15 minutes for our food to be cooked and ready to collect.

On approach to Baja Cantina’s van, the first you saw as you entered the County Ground, we were met with big smiles from those inside – and it is little things like this that you don’t forget.

After getting off to a good start, would the food live up to expectations? It certainly did.

As what I would consider as one of the most reasonably priced options of all the traders, the tacos were £8.95 a portion and were very filling.

I went for the beef brisket option and the two tortillas were filled to the brim with my chosen filling, as well as salsa, guacamole, cheese and jalapenos.

My parents also thoroughly enjoyed theirs, alongside portions of chips they had ordered from Broke ‘n Bone.

The beauty of Bite Street is that you can order different items from different vendors.

Though it was tempting to indulge in a dessert from Cookie Babes, we decided to call it a day after our food from Baja Cantina.

By the time we were eating our food, there was a continuous flow of people entering and finding a table.

With the sun shining, the organisers were moving more of the tables out from under the marquees and into the sunshine – as they knew visitors would want to make the most of it.

With seating for around 600 visitors, there was still plenty under shelter and in the shade for those who didn’t want to be in the direct sunlight.

Looking around, there were lots of different groups – couples, families with young children, large families that had chosen Bite Street as their place to meet and catch up, and groups of friends.

It was lovely to see everyone having a genuinely good time while enjoying the sunshine, listening to the music over the speakers, and having something delicious to eat and drink.

I’d highly recommend Bite Street to anyone considering going as I believe it is worth the hype.

You are spoiled for choice with what to order, there is more than enough seating to facilitate everyone who wants to come and enjoy the event, and there was a good atmosphere all round.

Though it would have been nice to see more options for sweet treats, it is clear the majority of people go to Bite Street for a savoury lunchtime or evening meal – so the space is better used in the way it currently is.

One thing I would remind anyone attending is that most payments are made via card using your phones.

Though this tends to be the done thing post-pandemic, think about your loved ones who may typically pay with cash and might need a helping hand.

Find out more about the next Bite Street event and how you can secure yourself a ticket here.