Street food, or in Slovak street food, which is made directly on the spot, has become an increasingly popular form of eating in recent years. It differs from fast food in the use of quality ingredients, healthier preparation and imaginative and inspiring processing. It can often be a literal gastronomic experience. The street food phenomenon in Bratislava was started by the Street Food Park on the square in front of the Old Market Square, which has been taking place since 2015 and has become a popular event with a unique atmosphere.
The idea to organize a Street Food Park came from the team of the Old Market. The aim of this event was to revitalize the area in front of the Market and bring something new to the residents and visitors of Bratislava. "We spent several months planning and fine-tuning the concept, thinking about what it could look like. Something like this has already worked abroad, but not in Slovakia. However, the biggest challenge before the first Street Food Park was to find vendors who would match the forms of street food," says Jana Vašáková, coordinator of the Street Food Park (SFP), who has been on the organizing team from the beginning.
The first SFP was held in September 2015, with eight vendors occupying about half of the square in front of the Old Market Square. In comparison, the most recent SFP (the 39th in a row) in June 2020 had 18 vendors, which is the maximum capacity of the square, and the organizers had to choose from 60-70 interested parties.
"The beginnings were not easy, we had to make people aware, teach them to eat on the street, we came up with various themes and an accompanying program. For example, the first November SFP had the theme of barbecue and barbecue. We had Finnish candles in buckets here in the square, it's not an open fire, people could borrow barbecue sticks and roast whatever they wanted. At that time, every vendor offered something that could be roasted. In the end, we, the organizers, roasted here in the evening with a few tourists," recalls Jana Vašáková.
However, many people quickly got a taste for street food and today SFP is held regularly, the first longer break was due to the coronavirus. "In the beginning, we held SFP in strong months for vendors - September, October, November, then we continued in March, April, May, June. We had time off in the summer because many vendors went to festivals and we felt that people were on vacation and the attendance would not be large. But more than two years ago, we decided to hold SFP year-round - once a month, except for January, when we all want to relax a bit. In December and February, SFP is inside the Market Square, there are a little fewer vendors, we also have a music program there and it has a slightly different atmosphere."
Everyone will find their own.
When selecting vendors, the organizing team pays attention to the variety of the dishes offered. So that people who like meat, vegetarians, vegans, and people with various intolerances can choose. "We try to put it together so that there are both larger and smaller portions, both sweet and savory... Also something to drink, also coffee, also good wine, cider... We have beer right in the Stará Tržnica - in the Výčapa u Ernőho. We try to have Slovak and world cuisine here. We are not against selling langos, but it has to have a twist, some character. We do not want to have vendors here who normally go to fairs or Christmas markets," explains Jana Vašáková. Over the years, the organizers have built beautiful friendly relationships with the vendors, and thanks to seamless cooperation, some of them have become permanent members of every SFP. "Vendors who have been with us since the beginning include Poľná kuchyňa and the mobile café Folcík. There was also the Le Bief team, which later renamed itself Lokál u nás and is now called U nás bistro - they make very popular hamburgers. At the first SFP, Foodstock also sold, but at that time they did not offer gyoza, but falafel."
Every SFP is different, never the same, and that's why it's interesting. The food menu at the vendors also changes a little every month. "There are always regulars that are popular and people literally wait for them, but the vendors also prepare some new items, limited editions, gourmet specialties, some new flavors, etc. If we have a theme, they adapt their menu to it."
Street Food Park is zero waste
SFP, like other events of a similar type, is well secured. Safety is supervised by the SBS service, paramedics, firefighters and a technician who, before the opening, gives vendors training on how to use and store gas canisters. The organizers also pay great attention to the environment. "Three years ago, when the Slovak street food scene was already really high-quality, we decided to move forward on the path of zero waste. We sort our waste and all vendors only have compostable dishes. So we collect all compostable waste and bio waste and process it into compost. Of course, we sort plastics, paper, glass... There are no garbage cans in the SFP premises except for our sorting stations, so visitors are "forced" to come to our trained staff, who will guide them as to what belongs where. "We clean not only the areas in front of the Market, but also the area around the square, because we feel responsible for it," explains the SFP coordinator and adds: "We, as the Market, want to improve in this and make all our events zero waste. The plan is to have our own composter. We also encourage our vendors to recycle and compost."
A challenging four days
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Part of the Street Food Park organizing team (from left: Lukáš Raček, Jana Vašáková, Adam Sloboda)[/caption]
For every SFP vendor, the four days during which it takes place are really challenging. Sales stands or food trucks open at 12:00 and vendors hardly stop until late at night. After closing, cleaning up and packing up, they often have to prepare for the next day at night. Moreover, many of them do not have their own preparation facilities in Bratislava, so they travel. And at nine in the morning they are already preparing in front of the Market. “It is challenging, all the vendors work really hard, but I think we will agree with them that it is always a perfect event,” says Jana Vašáková.
Street Food Park has an unmistakable atmosphere. People come here not only to eat or drink, but also to meet friends, acquaintances, chat and soak up the charm of this place. If the situation with the coronavirus remains favorable, we can all look forward to the next Street Food Park from July 22nd to 25th and then every other month.
