food&drink Feature
TwentySix serves up champion brunches and the best of south Wales street food
Jonathan Swain speaks to Helen Gorman, the brains behind a new street food and brunch outlet in Cardiff’s Bone Yard space, and profiles the pick of the traders set to pop up there under the TwentySix umbrella.
Helen Gorman is a woman on a mission. Per- haps best known for her Bad Boy Brownies, which the pandemic turned into a full-time business, she also runs touring street food events Pwdin and Cracklin from her Cardiff homebase. To this she added Toast: breakfasts at Canton’s Corp Market, where her home- made harissa butter and American pancakes have won a loyal following.
Latest venture TwentySix is a brand-new café and street food venue at The Bone Yard, also in Canton. It’ll be Toast’s new home for all-day weekend brunches, and coffee starting at 8am from Wednesday to Sunday. That weekend is the time to relax with classics like American pancakes with crispy bacon and maple syr- up, or harissa butter on sourdough toast with poached egg and halloumi, as well as her ve- gan options.
Helen named the venue after her nephew’s birthday. “It’s a date that’s meaningful to me; now I can’t wait to get TwentySix open,” she explains. “I’ve been in the pop-up and street food business for the past few years, doing all of the usual festivals and pop ups and kitchen takeovers – but I always had it in my head that one day there would be a permanent venue for me.”
Even better, she will host a regular rotation of street food traders from 3-10pm, every Thurs-
day to Sunday. It’s a healthy list, including Reaper, The Rock & Scallop and Pasta Al Sugo: the hook here is each trader having an individual slot, rather than competing against each other. Each gets a chance to shine, so here are some to make a point of visiting.
Keralan Karavan: Krish and Cally’s “unique jazzed-up Southern Indian kitchen” is an af- fectionate tribute to memories of home. Their food doesn’t take itself too seriously: there’s always a sense of fun, and always some im- pressive work behind it. Go for the Raj Burger (a smoked pulled chicken masala sandwiched in a brioche bun with an onion bhaji nest and homemade chutneys), or their ‘Frankie’ roll: Keralan-style rolled paratha bread, with a choice of smoked chicken or jackfruit and chickpeas filling.
Fire & Flank: Previous winners of the Brit- ish Street Food Award for Best Main Dish, the constant is steak slow-cooked in a waterbath and finished over flames. You might find it served with cheesy mash and chimichurri, or in a roll with sriracha and smoked garlic may- onnaise.
Kapow Ribs: John and Ceri Cook’s lock- down legends make a rare pop-up appearance from their Goodsheds base. If you don’t know yet how good these are, now’s your chance, but expect something special from the team behind
Cowbridge’s highly-rated Rocket & Rye café.
Laksa Shack: These newcomers bring a chicken laksa burger with fried egg.
Bao Selecta: Local street food giants (and newest additions to Cardiff Market) will bring their little handfuls of happiness, with their re- nowned vegan ‘beef’ sure to win new fans.
There’s the intriguing proposition of newcom- ers Straight Outta Canton with their ‘Punjabi BBQ’. Offering smoked chicken leg with but- ter chicken sauce, charred baby leeks with Al- abama sauce and pickled red onions, and ‘72- hour pressed pork’ (Punjabi belly pork, charred fennel and pear slaw with apple chilli chutney and yolk sauce), this is one to watch.
A fully licensed bar will serve a selection of beers, wines and spirits, plus regular cocktail specials, and if all that hasn’t persuaded you Helen is planning a monthly Bone Yard Bazaar with Martyn Watkins of Richkin’s Woodcraft (also based at The Bone Yard) which will offer arts and crafts, fresh produce and more.
Info: @TwentySixCardiff on Instagram / @Boneyard_Bazaar on Instagram
TwentySix
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