Street Feast supremo seeks global market

Showcasing 17 of what Mr Cools-Lartigue calls the “best street food traders in London”, his flagship Dalston market caters for 4,000 customers every weekend.

Independent traders – who are charged a pitch fee – sell everything from shellfish bisque-infused macaroni to curried goat. The market makes £50,000 in revenue each weekend, 80pc of which comes from its bars.

While celebrity fans include Richard Bacon, the television presenter, and food critic Giles Coren, Mr Cools-Lartigue says not all of the food industry has taken notice.

“Some people really love it, but some of the so-called food establishment have shunned it,” he says. “However, we probably sell more meals in a weekend than most restaurants in Britain sell in a few weeks. People are always dismissive of something that’s new and challenges current perceptions.”

And if there is one word that makes him cringe, it’s “hipster”.

He is aware that in running a trendy weekend evening market in a Dalston car park he faces the challenge of overcoming the that’s-too-mainstream-dude Bohemian stereotype.

“If you use that word, I’m sure I’ll have something to say about it,” he laughs. “But this will always work, it’s not just a trend.”

He readily admits that opening in new areas is always a “calculated risk”, but adds: “I think it’s worth it, though.”

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