A LOCAL couple from Caerphilly are celebrating after their street food business has been nominated at the Welsh Street Food Awards 2024.

Caerphilly residents Will York and Claire Colvine are to compete in the 2024 Welsh Street Food Awards in Llandeilo this weekend (June 15 and 16).

The couple launched their street food business ‘Packed’ in April, which serves Italian beef sandwiches, a classic dish from Chicago. Packed has been selected from more than 3,000 traders that applied to the British Street Food Awards this year.

The awards are part of the biggest street food competition in the world and the winners of the Welsh heat will go on to compete at the grand final in London and then - potentially - go on to represent Wales at the European Street Food Awards grand final in Germany.

Will York, Packed owner and director, said: “We are genuinely amazed to be competing in the Welsh Street Food Awards. When we launched our business back in April, we really didn’t know what to expect.

"We’ve been trading at festivals across South Wales over the last couple of months and we are beyond happy with the feedback we’ve had. 

"We’re really grateful to everyone who has supported our venture so far, particularly Caerphilly Business Club, TownSq Caerphilly Business Support, Street Food Circus and all our fellow independent food traders.”

Will and Claire have already served more than 2,000 sandwiches in two months at street food events and pop-ups in locations including Merthyr Mawr, Caldicot and Cardiff. The idea for Packed was dreamt up by the couple when they were travelling the world eating the best street food on the planet.

They believe they are the first food trailer in the UK to sell the Italian beef sandwich, which was invented in Chicago more than 100 years ago by Italian immigrants.

They have only met two or three people so far who have tried the sandwich before, including one woman from Chicago who said it was “a little taste of home.”

In their version of the dish, braised Welsh beef topside is thinly sliced and then dropped into a rich seasoned gravy.

The tender meat is packed high in a bread roll before being dunked back in gravy. The sandwich is finished with either sweet grilled peppers or homemade giardiniera, a traditional Italian vegetable pickle.

The 2024 Welsh Street Food Awards are being hosted by Street Food Circus.

Other food traders competing this weekend are Abi’s Gambia Kitchen, Bayside Grill, Burger Bay, Cegin Manuks, Grandad Needs His Medicine, Hills Brecon Burgers, Origin Pizza, Pasta a Mano, Pwdin, Sin Nombre and Taco, Taco, Taco.