Under the railway arches, through the Spotlight Bar, and into a small courtyard will lead you to Digbeth Dining Club, the heart of Birmingham’s street-food scene. Each week brings a different line-up of traders, and the big draw tonight is The Meat Shack, the burger bar run by graphic designer Paul Collis. Each burger takes 15 minutes to make: an intricate labour of love involving hunks of meat pressed firmly onto the hot grill, brioche buns, elaborate metal lids, steam, blue cheese, bacon, ketchup, mustard, black pudding. Once ready, Paul’s partner Cat hollers out each customer’s name. “Steve? Candice? Zara? Jim?”
By 8pm the queue runs all the way to the gates, at least 35-deep. It’s a young crowd – students and professionals mainly, beards, blazers, winter coats. They hold pints of beer and gin and tonics, sleeves wrapped around their hands, and their breath flourishing in great white clouds as they talk.
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