Going to a brand new food spot, available for a limited time only, is an exciting way of trying new dishes and recipes from chefs who are wanting to test out their culinary talents and foodie delights. And it seems that, in the last few years, Cardiff has become a budding location and opportunity for aspiring restaurateurs to test the waters before committing to a permanent venue by hosting pop-ups – be that at a restaurant, their own home, or in a coffee shop.
One of the shining examples of this is Lee Skeet who ran his first pop up 10 years ago. He then hosted a supper club from his own flat during lockdown which later turned into the prestigious Cora. Meanwhile James Chant saw his Matsudai Ramen pop-up in lockdown become so successful he was able to open its first restaurant last summer – and it has just received sparkling praise from renowned food critic Jay Rayner.
But chef and street food takeovers are nothing of a new phenomenon. In fact they've been popular in Britain since the noughties and in America since the 1960s in the form of supper clubs. Now pop-up food stops come in various different shapes and sizes from a weekly or monthly slot at a restaurant to a one-off supper club.
