A new Mexican wave?

Britain has never quite mastered street food, but the burrito might finally bring us up to speed. If not Mexican, what other culture's snacks would you like to see on a stall near you?
Mexican food stall LA
A Mexican food stall in Grand Central Market, Los Angeles, California. Photograph: Martin Thomas Photography / Alamy Martin Thomas Photography / Alam/Alamy

Whether it's satay skewers in Malaysia or burgers and hot dogs in New York, roadside dosas in India or pizza eaten in a tiny takeaway cafe in Rome, it can seem, at times, as if every country in the world - bar Britain - has a vibrant, on-the-move fast food culture.

As a nation, we are notoriously bad at (what the industry calls) grab 'n' go. Despite the efforts of these people to raise the profile of Britain's 10,000 "mobilers" (who knew?), not only does strict 'street food' not work - not outside of London, anyway - in a country where it's so cold and wet, but a mixture of high city-centre rents, strict regulation, the demand for bland, wipe-clean eating environments and a national love-hate relationship with food mean that Britain actively stifles the growth of outlets that might offer good, portable fast food.

We won't pay a quid or so more (or even wait, half the time) for quick meals cooked to order from decent ingredients. Which is why, for a time, so many chippies stopped doing just that. Yet, very little in food, with the exception of soups and stews, can be held on a hot counter, to be doled out instantly, without it quickly deteriorating in quality. Consequently, Britain is overrun with prepacked sandwiches, dismal factory-produced sushi and the obvious coffee and burger chains.

Help is at hand, however, in the unexpected shape of the burrito. Across Manchester (and now Liverpool, soon Leeds) Barburrito may have happened on, perhaps, the holy grail of fast food - core ingredients that can be produced in bulk, held, assembled to the customer's specification in seconds and a finished product which remains fresh and tasty. The style of service means that lots of people can be served quickly, which keeps the prices down (it's around £4 for a large burrito) and while many do eat in, the burrito is just as easily chomped on the move.

In its early days, Barburrito invited the local student Mexican society in to taste-test its proto-burritos. They approved, even if wasn't quite like mi madre used to make. Sensibly, however, owners Morgan Davies and Paul Kilpatrick do not make any outlandish claims about authenticity. This is a US-style burrito bar adapted for the British high street. "The pico de galo, the guacamole, the shredded beef - a lot of the recipes are traditional Mexican," says Davies. "But Mexicans wouldn't necessarily stick them together in a burrito the way Californians do."

What Barburrito does assert, however, is that the product is good. In some ways it cannot fail. Salsas and guacamole are made fresh each day, while more perishable items (shredded lettuce, fried peppers etc) are replenished with strict regularity. None of this requires much skill, beyond blitzing and chopping ingredients in the right quantities. Marinaded, slow-cooked meats, meanwhile, continue to almost 'stew' in their juices, intensifying in flavour, as they sit on the hot counter, waiting to be portioned out. Everything is either freshly prepared or such that it can be held for a time without impairing its quality.

Following major investment from venture capital fund, Cenkos, and with a new chairman, Richard O'Sullivan (co-founder of Millie's Cookies) onboard, Barburrito plan to expand nationwide. This could spell disaster. It often does. I may well be blogging here in a few years time about how they sold out. But, for now, with Davies making seemingly earnest noises about how they will expand cautiously, finessing each site individually, I think we should wish them luck.

There is no point complaining that the British high street lacks credible fast food alternatives, if you damn a promising concept from the off. Ideally, small independents would thrive in our city centres, not chains. But until some sort of political pressure is applied to property management companies, independent operations will continue to be priced out. Better Barburrito, then, than another KFC or McDonald's.

There will be stiff competition for the title of Britain's go-to burrito bar. Chipotle, the US burrito chain, is due to arrive in the UK any minute now, Chilango is expanding, and its London fans would love to see Daddy Donkey open at other locations. Morgan Davies, meanwhile, reports regular sightings of note-taking suits at Barburrito's existing sites as potential rivals size up what they're doing and whether or not Mexican really could be - as some commentators predict - the next big fashion in UK food. There was certainly plenty of interest when MasterChef winner and Wahaca co-founder Tommi Miers answered WoMers' questions on Mexican cooking at the end of March.

If it is, will you be pleased at this Mexican wave? Or are there other international street foods - French crepe stands; Danish hot dog kiosks; Thai noodle stalls; Italian takeaway pizza slices - which you would love to see imported to the UK? What snack foods - bearing in mind how Britain seems to need good food (pardon the pun) handed to it on a plate - would work here?