SCOFF Pop-up, the hugely popular street food concept at Avonside, Melksham has become a permanent fixture on Thursday and Friday evenings.
Launched in April for an initial 8-week run, SCOFF Pop-Up was an immediate hit, with one stall, Big Nath’s BBQ, selling out on one occasion in just an hour and a half. SCOFF Pop-up now has a fixed rota of eight of the most popular stalls serving delicious global fare so fans can always be sure of when to expect their favourite eateries. Keep an eye out for guest traders too!
Rotating over the course of each month will be: wok fresh plant based pan-Asian cuisine from Ninjo noodles; spiced Indian delicacies from Tandoori G; award-winning fried chicken wings and tater tots from Gurt Wings; comforting Yorkshire pudding wraps from Moo Stoo; vibrant middle Eastern Shawarma from Fink Street Food; ethical burgers from Boigers; and smoky Texan-style ribs ‘n’ pulled pork from Big Nath’s BBQ. The fourth Friday of every month features a guest vendor to surprise and delight street-food fans which in the past has included local trader Nawa Kitchen and their Tibetan momos and hearty curries.
The SCOFF Pop-up concept was started by local events director Sophie Bowden, who runs Finzels Reach’s much-loved food market in nearby Bristol. She came up with the idea during lockdown when people were working from home and couldn’t travel to the region’s vibrant street food markets. There are two more successful SCOFF Pop-ups in Clifton and Portishead, with the concept having just celebrated its first birthday and a vision to bring more pop-up sites to suburban areas in 2022.
At Avonside, traders serve on Thursdays and Fridays from 5pm until 8pm, or until they sell-out. For details of which stalls will be resident on which days and any special deals, keep an eye on Avonside’s and SCOFF’s social media channels.
Sophie Bowden, the creator of SCOFF Pop-up, said: “We are thrilled that SCOFF Pop-Up is now a permanent fixture at Avonside. We have had such a great reception from the public in Melksham who really enjoy sampling the different global cuisines and love supporting local, independent food and drink businesses. Now with a fixed rota of our most popular food stalls and an established residency we can continue to bring the best international street food to Melksham.”
The permanent tie-up with SCOFF Pop-up forms part of a vision for Avonside, by owners Create Real Estate, to make the most the town centre location and riverside setting to create a vibrant quarter for both leisure and business. Originally built as the home of Unigate Dairies, Avonside is moments away from the high street of Melksham and within a 15-minute drive of a number of surrounding towns. Visitors to SCOFF Pop-up at Avonside can park for free on site.
Ricky Humphreys, director at Create Real Estate, which owns Avonside, said: “SCOFF Pop-up at Avonside has been a runaway success and we are delighted to announce that it is now a permanent part of our exciting new community. SCOFF Pop-up’s ethos focused on championing independent locally-sourced food fits perfectly with our aim to create a dynamic, creative quarter for Melksham. This is just the beginning of many exciting things to come at Avonside.”
Avonside also has a range of versatile business and creative spaces available on flexible terms. For enquiries and more information about Avonside, go to www.avonsidewilts.co.uk. Follow Avonside via the handle @AvonsideWilts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow SCOFF Pop-up via the handle @Scoffpopup on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. For more information about SCOFF Pop-up, go to: sophiebevents.co.uk/scoff-pop-up.html.
