A Liverpool cook famed for his "authentic" tacos has been recognised by the British Street Food Awards 2023.
Joe Wild, who runs Taco or Don't, a pop-up Mexican food brand that's featured at numerous restaurants across the city and beyond, was delighted to be chosen out of 3,000 applicants to compete at the northern heat of the prestigious awards.
The British Food Awards seek to find "the Michelin stars of tomorrow", with Joe's Taco or Don't the only Liverpool vendor to make the cut. It's a big change for the 35-year-old, who only started the venture after being made redundant during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Joe, who lives in Toxteth, had been working as a UK brand ambassador for Altos Tequila for three years prior to being made redundant. Before and during his tenure with the company, Joe paid many visits to Mexico and fell in love with the cuisine.
Speaking to the ECHO, Joe said: "Even before I started working for Altos Tequila, I was opening tequila bars in Liverpool and London and all over. I used to run bars and go out to Mexico quite a lot and I noticed when I was out there, [the tacos] were hand pressed with fresh dough.
"From going out there so many times over the years, I thought how wildly different Mexican food was to the UK - you don't have that authentic taste here, unless you're in London, or someone has clearly done their research. I saw how no one here was making tacos fresh - it's a really specific type of flour to get that authenticity.
"Nobody was pressing it in front of the guests' faces and I thought, nobody else is doing it, so I'll do it. I started small, just doing tacos and nachos and it's just grown to now being nominated for this. It's so simple - 70% of your taco is your base, so why go cheap on it? We should make it properly."
Joe, who's originally from Rhyl in North Wales but has lived in Liverpool for 15 years, decided to use his job loss as the springboard to start the brand. Joe continued: "After I got made redundant, I had redundancy money which was enough to pay my mortgage a few months and enough to buy a marquee - just a plain one off Amazon - a fold-out table, a hot plate to put my tortillas on, and a bain-marie.
"Then, I started annoying people in bars and asking them to let me sell my food in there. The first time, I was in 24 Kitchen Street and just worked a few weekends there and learned. I've just finished six months in 92 Degrees on Jamaica street, and now I'm just keeping it going."
Joe was determined to get Taco or Don't seen by as many people as possible. He said: "I sent emails out and would see what came back - you've got to throw yourself out there when it's your brand. It's just me on my own, and I do a lot of weddings and catering events, and it's all from word of mouth."
Several friends and followers tagged Joe in the British Street Food Awards' social media posts, which led to him putting in an application and now, he's a contender to be named the best in the north. If he's successful, he could go on to the European leg of the awards.
Joe said: "3,000 people apply and they do their research on you, and then they pick. They emailed me saying, 'congratulations, you've been accepted, this is the next step' - I'm going on [Channel 4's] Steph's Packed Lunch to promote it and talk about it.
"It's on July 1 and 2, and it's held in Leeds, and it's to be named 'best in the north'. Then, you go through to the UK final in August, then the European final after that - Marco Pierre White is one of the judges. It all sounds grand and silly when you realise it's just a taco."
On why his tacos are so popular with food lovers, Joe said: "So many people reach out to me and say how great my tacos are but there's nothing unique about them, it's just that the base is fresh and hand-pressed to order, and it makes such a difference. I do all my own toppings to be original, too.
"The real flour is corn flour, and it's grey, so my tacos come out looking jet black and people think it's a gimmick but that's just what it is - that's the natural colour. That's how they're supposed to be made."
Speaking about his hopes for the future and what the awards may lead to, Joe added: "I just hope it opens more doors to me - I just want to reach out and get bare tacos in people's mouths."
Richard Johnson, founder of Food Mutiny, the company behind the awards in Britain, commented: "We don't want a fixed starter, main course, dessert menu anymore. We want a bit of this and a bit of that - flirty, low commitment dining. Plus it's inclusive and, in a world like ours, that's a positive message right now."
To find out more about the British Street Food Awards 2023, click here.
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