2014 Predictions

The computer is fixed, the holidays are over and we’re returning from the Lake District today where phone signal has been wonderfully poor. Not that we have had phones switched off. The original intention was to let the Jabberwocky’s out of office response deal with queries, but neither of us were ready to let go that much.

I thought it would be a good idea to assemble the plans for the coming year, and then at the tail end of the year we can congratulate ourselves on a job well done, and I can stealthily edit this post to remove any bits we didn’t manage.

1. This year will be the year that a collective comes to Birmingham. I admit that I already have a head start on my knowledge here, but after last year’s problems with pitch fees and bad event management it’s time Birmingham street food united.
2. Popups. This is when a bricks-and-mortar restaurant or pub hands over their kitchen to a street food vendor, who then serves their product for the night. I think that this will be a key part in the expansion of street food, being as it could provide that all important mid-week trade and give more start-up businesses work.
3. More regular pitches. Although I love the varied nature of street food, it is nice when you have a predictable market generating predictable income. It means we can pretend to be grown-ups who budget and forecast. As street food spreads and becomes more of a destination, there will hopefully be more trading places to choose from.
4. Another surge in new and interesting street food. No one wants to set up business at the tail end of the year, so the scene was lacking in new blood towards the end of 2013. I think that at least some people will have a new year’s resolution to buy a gazebo and make the most of the British summer. Do it folks.
5. Street food on TV? This is a hopeful one. There is a programme on Food Network to tell us how great it would be if Andy Bates showed up and blessed us with an interview, but I think some sort of competitive show might be heading our way. Since winning a BBC street food award lots of customers have become convinced they have seen us on the telly (they haven’t, but the customer is always right) so it would be very satisfying to actually make good on that.
6. Weather. There’s going to be a lot of that this year. I don’t want to be too cynical, but last year we got lucky. Bring it on, supernatural deity of your choice.

Right now we’re still in the lakes, so I really can’t post this anywhere on the internet, but if all goes to plan, we will be packing up a thermos of tea, switching to radio 4 and manning a sensible picnic for the journey home in the Volvo shortly. I feel serenely middle aged.