Popular street food festival set to celebrate birthday with weekend-long party

Digbeth Dining Club is to celebrate its 12th birthday with a special two-day party at its Hockley Social Club home in Birmingham on Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22.

Returning to the same format which attracted hundreds of thousands of food and culture fans from its inception in 2012, St George’s Street outside its Jewellery Quarter base will be transformed into a culinary festival with 10 traders pitching up for the weekend.

Digbeth Dining Club's street closures were instrumental in the original growth of the business in their formative years, with up to four thousand people descending on Lower Trinity Street in Digbeth once a month.

Traders such as Original Patty Men, Baked in Brick, Indian Streatery, Buddha Belly, and Meat Shack all began their street food careers with Digbeth Dining Club before going on to open up their own restaurants in Birmingham.

The 12th birthday celebrations will see the first Digbeth Dining Club closure since January 2020, pre-Covid.

Food traders confirmed for the event are Baked in Brick, Beef on the Block, Death Row Sandwiches, Feed, Hawker Dan, Leave it to Esmie, Shrimp Shack, Street Chef, Street Souvlaki, and Urban Cheesecake.

The weekend event will also feature live music from Young Culture and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire jazz graduates The Equinox Trio, as well as DJ sets from DJ Psychomantus and funk and soul selecter Marcus B.

Jack Brabant, co-founder-director of Digbeth Dining Club and Hockley Social Club, said: “Our journey from a few traders in a space under the arches in the back-streets Digbeth to touring nationally and developing a new expanded HQ which attracts world-famous orchestras, DJs, comedians and bands, has been extraordinary.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has been part of our growth to date, in particular our committed supporters and traders, and staff members who have worked over and above to ensure we continue to present the best food and culture experiences week in, week out.

“Over the past decade, we’ve also collaborated with venues and brands including Cheltenham Festivals, Aston Villa Football Club, DJ Mag, MADE Festival, Gymshark, Warwick Castle, Soho House, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Red Bull, and Jack Daniels, as well as hosting the British Street Food Awards.

“Given how important street closures were for us in our early years, enabling us to develop and learn as well as build up a loyal fanbase, it was a no-brainer to reprise the model and return to our roots. We look forward to celebrating our birthday with many people who helped us along the way.”

To find out more about the event and to book tickets, go to hockleysocialclub.com or pay on the door.