A pasta vendor from Pembrokeshire has been crowned the winner of the Welsh Street Food Award 2024.

The world’s biggest street food competition returned to Wales over the weekend (June 15 and 16), with the Street Food Circus festival in Llandeilo.

Twelve competitors took part in the Welsh Street Food Awards cooking for a panel of judges, while also being voted on by members of the public.

The awards were judged by:

  • Richard Johnson (founder of the British Street Food Awards)
  • Simon Wright (food writer, broadcaster and restaurateur)
  • Kacie Morgan (Welsh food and travel writer)
  • Shannon Owens (Welsh food blogger and content creator)

The two winners from the Wales will now go on to compete in the British Street Food Awards in London in September.The two winners from Wales will now go on to compete in the British Street Food Awards in London in September. (Image: Street Food Circus)

Street Food Circus founder, Matt the Hat said: "We were thrilled to be able to take our travelling caravan of international flavours to Llandeilo.

"We’re on a mission to discover and nurture new street food talents - and to create events in unique locations all over Wales to give as many people as possible to try their food.

“Thank you to the people of Llandeilo and Carmarthenshire for coming out to support our chefs and helping to send them on their way to the UK finals and, we hope, all the way to Germany!”

Welsh Street Food Award 2024

Contestants

The 12 contestants that took part in the Welsh Street Food Award 2024 were:

  • Abi's Gambian Kitchen (Carmarthen)
  • Bayside Grill (Cardiff)
  • Burger Bay
  • Cegin Manuka (Aberaeron)
  • Diod (Llandeilo)
  • Hills Brecon (Brecon)
  • Origin Pizza (Hay-on-Wye)
  • Packed
  • Pasta a Mano (Newport, Pembrokeshire)
  • Pwdin (Aberystwyth)
  • Sin Nombre (Cardiff)
  • Taco Taco Taco

Winners

Wales Champion: Pasta a Mano

Wales People’s Choice winner: Hills Brecon

Pembrokeshire pasta vendor crowned Welsh Street Food Award 2024 champion

Pasta a Mano, from Newport, Pembrokeshire, was crowned Welsh Street Food Award 2024 champion.

Judges voted their dish of Car-Y-Mor crab linguine with mascarpone, lemon & Awen Organics agretti as the best in what was said to be a "unanimous" decision.

British Street Food Awards founder, Richard Johnson, said: “Congratulations to our champion - the judges had a tough job with such a diverse and delicious lineup of competitors, but when it came down to flavour, quality and originality, Pasta a Mano was a unanimous choice.

"And a massive well done to Hill’s for winning over all our visitors and taking the People’s Choice award.

“Over the years, we’ve seen many street food cooks from Wales go on and win against competition from the UK and the best in the world. So we’re excited to see how far the class of 2024 will progress.” 

Commenting on the win, Pasta a Mano's Derw Robertson-Jacobs added: "This is a great validation for our ethos of not compromising on the quality of our ingredients, making everything from scratch and only using the best local ingredients.

"In Pembrokeshire, I have all these incredible producers on my doorstep - many of whom are now close friends - and all my ingredients come through these really supportive producer relationships.

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"I’m so proud to be able to showcase what our often-overlooked part of the world has to offer.”

Pasta a Mano, along with Hills Brecon, will now take their dishes on to compete at the British Street Food Awards finals in London on September 13 to 15.

If they are successful in the British Awards they will then have the opportunity to represent Wales (and Britain) in the European Street Food Awards grand final in Germany which will take place on October 4 to 6.