It's been one of the biggest names in Scottish street food since its founding, and the exciting food mart in the southside of Glasgow continues to push boundaries as it approaches its sixth anniversary.
Keen to find out what the Big Feed team is up to for their birthday this weekend, Glasgow Live chatted to founder Jonathan Stipanovksy to learn about how it all came together in the first place, what he's most proud of, and some of his favourite events they've hosted over the years.
"It's incredible to see what's sprung from a wee idea I had whilst stuck offshore," explained Jonathan. "I was a diver working on the oil rigs and had a lot of time on my hands.
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"I was sitting one day thinking there has to be more to life than this… and thought of what I actually enjoy, and that's food. Particularly, the amazing things I had tried while travelling and the things I wanted to try from around the world."
It wasn't long before he returned to Glasgow to bring his idea to life, creating Big Feed and what would go on to become one of Scotland's most popular street food venues.
He said: "I always thought there would be a market for this in Glasgow and beyond. It all stemmed from that day sitting bored between dives, and I can’t believe how far we have come.
"It's grown fast, through word of mouth and social media – our following is so loyal and so passionate. Now we work with Scotland’s biggest events and we have some huge, huge news coming soon."
Much like the rest of the food and drink industry at the minute, there are challenges but Jonathan explained that they are lucky to work with some "incredible vendors" and have such a loyal and dedicated following.
And some pretty famous names have appeared at Big Feed in the past.
"We watched Julie Lin on Saturday morning TV at the weekend," Jonathan said. "She was one of the first traders we ever had. Amazing to see how far she's got, lovely girl and she truly deserves it, with her passion for food and her incredible attitude. She’s amazing.
"Though the most memorable vendor might be 'Smoking Barrels' whose smoker decided to cause our fire alarms to go off - the wind changed direction and the smoke blew across the car park and directly into our hall and five fire engines later, we were very popular that weekend."
Over the years, the street food specialist stated that they have been lucky to host and take part in some memorable events over the years from catering for TRNSMT and the Merchant City Festival to feeding famous faces like 90s Hip Hop legend De La Soul and Hollywood superstar Chris Pine, who was in town filming for 'The Outlaw King' and who Jonathan says came back for seconds on the pulled pork.
When asked how many people they have fed at Big Feed over the years, Jonathan jokes that there might be "one or two people in Glasgow that are still to be tempted" down to one of their events but that they are on a mission to feed everyone.
He added: "We’re truly grateful for the support of our community and we love that our passion for the best street food from around the world is really embraced by the people of Scotland.
"I've had the privilege to work with some incredible people over the years without whom Joe Aitken (my business partner) and I would have really struggled to keep the business alive. Babs Steele "mummy Babs" in particular played a huge role in our early years and our landlords in Govan - 'Glasgow the Caring City' - was always there when we needed them."
With this weekend set to be a huge celebration for the team, Jonathan added that he can't wait to see what the future has in store.
"We've created a fun, happy, family space that you can enjoy from age 3 to 93, it still gives me a kick to hear people talk about it being 'their place'. That’s the most rewarding thing, how hugely diverse groups of people have taken it to heart and made it their own, from families to groups of pals to workmates – everyone sees Big Feed as theirs. That’s special for us.
"It has gone from an opening weekend with five trucks and a pallet bar in an old warehouse in Govan to partnering with the R&A on their incredible new project 'Golf It' but more on that very soon."
Big Feed is celebrating its Big Birthday Weekend Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26 you can find out more about the line up on their website.
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