Hey Hot Potatoes,

Welcome to the latest edition of the Hot Potato Newsletter. The food scene in London is seriously hot and we’re blessed to have such a variety of incredible spots both old and new to choose from. So today we’re looking into those who are making a name for themselves and have started to build a great reputation in the ‘pop-up’ space. Through innovative approaches and unique offerings, we take a look at some of the exceptional pop-ups out there and the people behind them. There is no doubt that these trailblazers have the potential to create their own hospitality empires in the future, so let’s check out who makes our list!

In today’s email: From pop-up stars to future hospitality empires, these are the ones to watch

Read Time: Approx 5 mins

Ruben’s Reubens - Ruben Dawnay

Remember lockdown? While most of us were mastering banana bread, Ruben Dawnay was in his parents' Brixton garden, smoking meat and curing fish. Fast forward to today, and this culinary wizard has become one of London's most exciting food talents (Code Hospitality even named him one of their '30 Under 30 Rising Stars to Watch'). And I can vouch for this too, having tried his Reuben Sandwich, it’s absolutely off the charts… this guy is doing something special. It’s ridiculously hard to believe he’s only 23 years old!

Having found a home in Brixton for a little while, Ruben began to build his reputation and his social following too. Paying homage to his Polish-Jewish heritage he became well known for his Reuben sandwiches but has since become seriously accomplished in the BBQ world, cooking up sausages, chicken, ribs and everything in between.

After many successful residencies of serving delicious BBQ food at the likes of Naughty Piglets, Meatopia, The Crooked Well and recently in Brixton’s iconic Market Row. Ruben then brought his signature style to Peckham Arches for the summer, and adding to his successes of the season, he won the coveted trophy at this year’s Fume BBQ Festival.

We’re super excited to follow Ruben’s meteoric rise and know he's got a big future in store, shaping the hospitality industry for decades to come.

Find them at: Their November location is to be confirmed.

Wildes Deli - Ollie Gratter

Let me tell you about a game-changing spot that's about to shake up London's deli scene in the best possible way! We all know finding a gap in London's food scene is harder than getting a Dishoom walk-in table on a Saturday night… but North London's very own Ollie from Wilde's Deli is doing exactly that, and it's absolutely wild (pun intended)!

Growing up in North London, Ollie has basically got smoked salmon, bagels and salt beef running through his veins. One day he had a light bulb moment, and thank goodness he did, as these absolute bangers of Jewish cuisine needed a proper modern glow-up. Sure, we've got the legends like Beigel Bake and Panzers (absolute institutions, btw), but unlike New York where modern Jewish delis are popping up faster than new coffee shops, London's been seriously sleeping on the contemporary deli game.

Enter Wilde's Deli, what Ollie calls his new wave 'Jew(ish)' concept, and trust me, it's bringing the classics back with a bang. We're talking jumbo salt beef sandwiches, challah french toast, the Reuben's sandwich that'll have you questioning everything you thought you knew about sandwiches, latkes that hit different, and pickles so crisp they should come with a warning label.

I made the pilgrimage when they were based in Kentish Town and let me tell you - that Reuben and those latkes… absolutely next level. Ollie hasn't just nailed it, he's absolutely smashed it out of the park! We look forward to seeing more of what’s to come from Ollie!

Find them at: White Horse 20-22 Peckham Rye, London, SE15 4JR

Uncle Hon’s BBQ - Luk Man Hon

What do you get when you take a Texan style BBQ with a slight Chinese twist? You get Uncle Hon’s BBQ, and boy is Luk doing something unique and incredible.

His background is actually in music, well vinyls to be exact, and he owns the well established Vinyl Pimp record store in Hackney. His one other true passion is food and he followed his passion for BBQ’ed food in particular last year. Luk went to spend some time in Texas and it was here that he fell in love with the Texan food scene. What was supposed to be a short trip ended up being a several month journey where Luk explored more and learnt from the best in the industry.

Luk brought his new found knowledge back to the UK, set up Uncle Hons BBQ and has been doing pop-ups now for the past two years. On the menu you can expect some sizzling flavours, including his Sichuan beef ribs, peach tea glazed pork belly and Chinese mustard green pickle pork hash sausage. Those flavours are right up my street and it’s inspiring to see someone be bold, do something totally different and create a one-of-a kind offering.

Find them at: All My Friends, Unit 1, Hamlet Estate, 96 White Post Ln, London E9 5EN

Mamapen - Kaneda Pen

Picture this, you're in one of Soho's most beloved boozers, The Sun & 13 Cantons (fun fact: it's named after London's old Swiss watchmaker community), and tucked away in their kitchen is Kaneda Pen, the culinary mastermind behind Mamapen, serving up the ONLY Cambodian food in the entire capital. Absolutely mental, I can’t believe it hasn’t been done yet but here we are!

From advertising to aprons, talk about a career pivot! Kaneda swapped his media career for kitchen whites, learning the ropes at the swanky Aqua Kyoto before becoming a BBQ boss at Flank and From The Ashes. Now that's what we call following your passion.

Kaneda's doing something pretty cool with fusion dishes, combining panko pork toast with drunken master XO sauce, and giving a nod to his Scottish girlfriend with braised beef 'tattie mince noodles'. But the real showstopper? The Khmer BBQ chicken - from what we hear, it's the stuff of legends. This pop-up residency is bringing something truly different to London's food scene, and we're here for it.

Find them at: The Sun & 13 Cantons, 21 Great Pulteney St, London W1F 9NG

Whole Beast - Sam and Alicja Bryant

Ever wondered what happens when you combine rural Norfolk charm, Polish hospitality, and the primal power of live fire cooking? Well, let me introduce you to the absolute warriors at Whole Beast, who are quite literally setting the London food scene ablaze!

When Sam and Alicja Bryant decided to launch Whole Beast, they weren't just starting another food concept, they were bringing their rural roots (Norfolk and Poland respectively) and a "waste not, want not" attitude to London's dining scene.

These guys don't just talk the talk, their nose to tail concept ensures every single part of the animal has its moment to shine; from prime cuts to off-cuts and fats to bones. Even the vegetables get the same thoughtful treatment, it's all about seasonality and making the most of what Mother Nature gives us.

Their craftsmanship is finally being recognised, having just picked up 'Best Burger in the UK' at the National Burger Awards for their aged cheeseburger. They went up against the big guns like Bleeker and El Perro Negro and they absolutely smashed it! The judges were blown away by their flavours and quality of ingredients, and honestly, we're not surprised one bit.

Find them at: The Montpelier, 43 Choumert Rd, London SE15 4AR but moving on the 2nd November to Exale Tape Room Unit 2C uplands business park, London E17 5QJ

Today we’ve highlighted some of the most up and coming concepts alongside the chefs making a name for themselves in the food scene through their innovative pop-ups. We have no doubt they’ve got bright futures ahead. Which ones are you going to pay a visit?

Next up, we explore everything to do with the plant based sector. It’s an area that has had a lot of attention so we’re going to look at the current state of play, how the sector is evolving and what the future looks like.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to subscribe to stay updated weekly on all things hospitality!

Bon appétit,

Max Shipman, Editor-in-Chief, Hot Potato

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