Back because of popular demand, Blas street food market returned on Saturday the 17th of October.
After Cardiff’s Farmers’ Markets were being forced to refuse street food vendors, Blas was popping up at various venues until it earned its own place at the Mackintosh Centre on Keppoch Street.
Now part of Riverside’s Community Market Social Enterprise, which runs the main farmers’ markets in Cardiff, Blas featured as part of the eighth anniversary of the Made in Roath Festival.
Just some of the street stalls at Blas included Babita’s Spice Deli; Cup and Cake Bakery, which supplies cupcakes to Cardiff university and Big G Designs – a former bodybuilder known as ‘Big G’ who makes and sells furniture out of reclaimed wood.
As many shops in Roath sell cheap fast food you might think there isn’t a place for street food venders anymore. However, the RCMA marketing spokesperson said rather than trying to rival big chains Blas is about food education and, “Encouraging Cardiff as a destination for food.”
Blas vendors seem to say the event is growing in popularity. When questioned why, Babita, the owner of Babita’s Spice Deli, replied, “People are more widely travelled and want to have some of the food they experienced abroad.” Penylan Pantry, a local deli, said, “People want to support local business and producers as well as have fresh, local food.”
Far from just attracting those on the street, MP for Cardiff Central and Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, stated “People come from beyond Roath” and that she had “Seen it grow year after year.”
In order to see why the public thought Blas was growing in popularity we asked them: Why is street food important?