Kerb Does Peckham
Posted on: August 3, 2013
Tucked away behind the dingy Peckham High Street, off an alley way that wasn’t even signposted for the affair, was a rather obscure building called Bussey.
A small gaggle of people walked in expecting to see something spectacular, but were met by two shady characters with rings pierced in strange places, eager to pat us down and fumble through our handbags. I wondered if this was the norm for a Kerb do, or just a Southern welcome. Nevertheless I decided I must be in the right place, as no one did that before I walked into the butchers around the corner.
There were still no signs of an event taking place, as I walked down another alley way and then I finally turned a corner into what felt like a secret fraternity. Kerb certainly did not invite passing trade, as you would have had to stumble onto their website or twitter feeds or else be completely oblivious to its existence, as the residents of Peckham appeared to be. The Kerb following was pretty strong, judging by how quickly the car park packed out with frat boys and girls.
Dosa Deli were in the house. Now I must commend Mrs Dosa for picking up the skill of making the very thin pancake that forms the dosa, it takes quite a bit of practice to get it that thin (oh Lord no, I have never tried it. It looked hard when I saw it done on the telly!). The spicy paneer filling was interesting but it was a tad hot and the spices could have done with being cooked down more before adding the paneer (yes this much I know from experience).
It was great to finally see some vegetarian options at a food fest, as I fear they appear to be few and far between. However I would still rather go to an established dosa restaurant for my fix, as you get a larger sized, crispier and tastier dosa for a fraction of the price. Sometimes I think that you just can’t monkey with tradition, as my personal favourite is the masala potatoes that form the filling of a classic dosa.
I also had the pleasure of meeting the delightful Shebeen Queen, as I waited patiently for her three hour slow cooked bobotie. The late arrival of electricity at Kerb did not phase her or her bobotie, as she served up plates of this heart warming South African dish to eager punters. It is made from lamb or beef mince which is cooked in layered spices and then baked with an egg custard style coating. It doesn’t taste particularly spicy and I have always thought that adding the egg coating to be an odd accompaniment to the mince, but I have always wanted to try it and I must say I loved it. I loved the texture, the flavour and the smooth blend of spices. She served it with bananas in lemon and coated with coconut, which I loved even more! And then there was the perfectly made saffron rice. Fabulous!
When I saw the Hairy Bikers being fed this on one of their South African adventures, I thought it would be a wonderful thing to try but making it myself could hardly compare with having it made by someone who had cooked it all their life.
Kerb brought South African tradition to Peckham, and that my friends is why London has won the street food revolution. But most Kerbsters will tell you that these festivals are not only about the food; it has become the middle class alternative to meeting your mates down the pub. Pitching up at a Kerb has become as cool as Glasto, without the mud. And our fabulous summer has made every food fest a raging success.
Londoner’s have grown into some of the most well travelled and diverse people you will ever meet and with that, their knowledge of cuisine and drink has evolved and become more open minded and adventurous. What better forum for entrepreneurs with innovative ideas; you can be sure we will eat them all up!
Excited About Lunch 
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