There's a new food scene driven by tweets and pop-ups

13 April 2012

It used to be a common complaint from foreign visitors. "Everything we ate in pubs was greasy," whined a German friend after a trip here a few years ago. "You do have shortbread, I suppose," conceded my Italian flatmate.

Of course, things have changed a lot in the past decade: London has become a food destination. Not only can you find excellent, locally sourced dishes all over town but there is a real passion for cooking and experimenting with ingredients. Mexican and Peruvian food has arrived; you can go vegetarian, gluten-free, even raw.

Oversized portions have been replaced by small plates to share informally. Restaurants are trading in booking systems for no-reservations policies. Supper clubs pop up at random.

But that's not all. For while Twitter may not have helped McDonald's this week, after the #McDstories hashtag turned into a virtual punch-up, the microblogging site is also transforming the capital's food scene. It adds up to a new, dynamic London food movement.

Eating in London has become one of our city's most eminently tweetable subjects. Today anyone can criticise food and engage with people who make it: it's not just about a select few restaurant critics. Find a great, affordable place? You can enthuse about it to an audience of thousands. Surly service or disappointing dessert? You can let anyone with a smartphone know exactly what you think.

Websites such as Hot Dinners, London Eating or Square Meal have become indispensable to foodies, spreading up-to-the-minute news on restaurant openings. Equally, where would #meateasy or @PittCueCo (now MeatLiquor and PittCueCo restaurants, respectively) be had they not drip-fed Twitter and Facebook fans early on with information - including how to find them?

And what excitement is there now in planning a dining-out experience? That's so 2010: now we are more likely to queue-'n'-tweet or engage in a #twEATtup with hungry strangers.

Foodies rely on these sources too for hearing and spreading gastro gossip direct from the kitchens themselves. It is fast-paced: we can like/unlike, follow/unfollow, tweet/retweet faster than we can write. Photographs of full dinner plates and burgers on griddles come through all the time.

Recipes are shared in less than 140 characters; feedback is instant. What we eat and how we eat it has become a popular part of our everyday conversation - online as well as face to face.
One good example is the current trending topic of street food, largely fuelled by websites such as eat.st and britishstreetfood.co.uk. Apart from the element of discovery - the thrill of checking Twitter, then racing to track down excellent grub in changing locations - part of the excitement of street food is being able to comment on it in real time so that others can share their experiences.

Inspired by this, last week I launched my own street food website. The reaction was instant: within minutes of my posting a link, comments streamed in and the original link was retweeted.
People used to say British food lacked creativity.

Come the Olympics, when visitors arrive expecting bad burgers, we should tell them to check Twitter first. It will help them eat well - just as it keeps us hungry for more.

Londonstreetfoodie.co.uk. Twitter: @vicstewart

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