London Wing Fest 2017

This post was written back in 2017. ‘RK’ is currently known as ‘14’ on my twitter feed. Below is a picture of ‘Now4’ when he was 13 months old.

Facebook adverts polarise opinion. Some consider the very idea of adverts targeted to what you post and who you follow to be all that is wrong with the internet. I take a more relaxed view. I chose to use Facebook with its terms and conditions and in fact, every now and then something interesting will catch my eye. And so it was with Wing Fest. Back in late April I saw an advert for this two day extravaganza of chicken wings in South London. I knew that I had to go with my wing, wingman, my eldest son who at the age of 10.5 is as much a connoisseur of wings as I am.

Arrival and grabbing a drink

On arrival we were issued with our Wing Fest hats (see above) and ushered into the smallish area in which we found a bar and 13 of the 17 wing vendors. The bar prices were quite reasonable for an event.

With a drink in hand we found half a table that wasn’t occupied and set about trying all the wings we could. Each vendor was allowed to sell two types of wing; one had to be their take on the traditional Buffalo wing and the other, ‘The Wild Wing’ could be anything they liked. Foolishly, I failed to write down the precise names of the Wild Wings thinking that the Wing Fest website would list them but it was not to be. Instead, you’ll have to put up with my scribbled (okay, jabbed onto my iPhone) notes from Sunday afternoon.

I’ve split the vendors into four categories and the ratings based on my own secret set of criterion. My son had his own and his comments appear below mine as ‘RK’. We decided to agree an overall score for each vendor across both wings. At the end we each selected our favourite overall vendor and each selected our favourite individual wing.

Category 1: Relegation fodder. Scores of 0 to 4 out of 10

Category 2: Mid table. Scores of 5 to 7 out of 10

Category 3: Just below the top four. Scores of 8 and 9 out 10

Category 4: The top four. 10 out of 10 and our four awards

Are you sitting comfortably? Then let’s begin. Oh except I wanted to add that these are just the opinions of two people. You might have visited WingFest, eaten from the vendor before, read my opinions, met us, be the vendor themselves and strongly agree or massively disagree with what we have to say. That’s fine, in any combination. It’s fine for us to have totally different opinions. That’s what makes the world go round. If our opinions make you cross then it’s time to step away from the computer and remember, you’re probably right and I/we are probably wrong.

Category 1: Relegation fodder

King Samosa — www.twitter.com/kingsamosa

Score: 1/10

Oh dear. These were greasy, flabby and both had just the faintest hint of masala/jeera(cumin), much of it quite raw. They appeared to have been fried in a large wok and perhaps perfectly broke the myth that deep fried food is oiler than shallow fried. These had taken in so much oil that I nearly called Greenpeace. I hope they were just having an off day.

RK: I don’t like the look of them. (After one bite) No more please!

Joe’s Southern Table & Bar — www.joessouthern.co.uk

Score: 2/10

There was a huge queue for these wings and lots of leaflets to collect. I ordered one of each wing but was given three Buffalo instead. The overwhelming smell of fake butter as I collected them concerned me so that I didn’t quibble. The wings were overcooked to the point of being dry. The sauce was just fake butter and no discernible Buffalo. I can see why they were giving away more than you ordered. I tried a bite from each to make sure I wasn’t eating a duff wing but they were all the same. Ugh.

RK: They smell like popcorn at the cinema but the taste is okay. I don’t hate them as much as you do.

Randys — www.randyswingbar.co.uk

Score: 4/10

The first thing that struck me at Randy’s was the chaotic nature of the operation. “Make 2,1,2,2,1,1,2” instructed the man handling orders to a bemused Chef. The Buffalo wing had a sloppy texture and weedy sauce. The blue cheese dressing over the top was thin and unpleasantly pungent. The Wild Wing had a chilli kick to it which was okay, but again the chicken itself had an unpleasant texture, overcooked on the outside and sloppy on the inside.

RK: They don’t look as good as some of the others we’ve tried. They taste okay.

Category 2: Mid table

Spit and Roast — www.twitter.com/spitandroast

Tonkatsu (Buffalo not pictured)

Score: 5/10

Both wings suffered from the same issue. The sauces were good but the wings were rubbery. Cooked at too low a temperature and/or in batches that were too big, the end product just wasn’t up to scratch. A shame because I had heard many good things about Spit and Roast on my twitter feed.

RK: The skin isn’t nice and spoils the wing.

Earls — www.earlsldn.uk

Buffalo and Korean

Score: 5.5/10

The wings had a crisp coating and were well cooked. They were also beautifully presented but neither wowed us. The Korean wing was probably quite good in isolation but had some serious competition at WingFest. The Buffalo sauce had blue cheese running through it which I didn’t like. I want to choose if I add (and I rarely do) blue cheese to my wing.

RK: We’ve had better Korean wings. I found the blue cheese too strong.

Chicken Shack — www.chefevents.co.uk/chickenshack

Buffalo and Szechwan

Chicken Shack: Yes, yes, I forgot to take a photo before we started eating!

Score: 6/10

This was the first vendor we visited and in my excitement to tuck into some wings, I forgot to take a photo before we devoured them. The wings were crisp and the chicken had a lovely texture. It was a tale of two wings however, with the Buffalo wing hitting all the right notes but the Szechwan disappointing. The spices were raw and instead of warming and exciting my palate with spicy Chinese flavours, left me feeling like I had tipped a spice rack into my face. The watermelon slice with the Szechwan wing would have been the perfect antidote to a hit of spice, had it happened.

RK: I like them both. The Chinese one has a meatball taste to it

Absurd Bird — www.absurdbird.com

Buffalo with Cheeto crumb (yes, really) and Smoked BBQ and horseradish

Score: 6/10

While I credit innovation, a Cheeto crumb was one stage too far for me. The wings were well cooked though the chicken itself didn’t do much for me. The Cheetos ruined (for me) what was otherwise a quite pleasant Buffalo wing; I’m sure others would have loved it. On the other hand the smoked BBQ and horseradish wing had a great balance of flavours with smoke, sweet, sesame and a small kick all working harmoniously.

RK: The Cheetos are disgusting but the BBQ wing is delicious!

True Wings — www.twitter.com/TrueWingUK

Garlic and mind bendingly hot

Score: 6.5/10

The man running the van gave me strict instructions to eat the garlic wing first (orange, left) and then the other one. I can see why. First the chicken. The crisp coating was as crunchy and delicious as it looks above. The tender, yielding chicken underneath a delight too. The sauces were just okay. Garlic wasn’t garlicky enough and the hot one just too damn hot! Turning the volume up on one and down on the other would have seen these wings shoot up the ratings.

RK: Ouch, HOT HOT HOT. I need more water and some milk. You know that ice-cream is good when wings are too hot. Dad, can I have some ice-cream please.

Buffalo Joe’s — https://twitter.com/BuffaloJoesCamb

Buffalo and Chilli

Score: 7/10

We’ll both forgive them being Spurs fans for a moment to say that we really enjoyed both wings. They were crisp with just the right amount of sauce and the right level of heat. A solid performance but just not quite there. Much like Spurs.

RK: Good. The Buffalo is better than the chilli

We Serve Humans — www.weservehumans.com

Covfefe and Buffalo

Score: 7/10

The wings were crisp and crunchy with the Buffalo wing (which surely should have been called ‘Bigly’) sporting a decent kick and the Covfefe having a discernible coffee taste balanced with coriander and sesame. I’m not sure I could eat many of the coffee wings but credit for something inventive and on the day, unique. I suspect it had as many dissenters as fans but I was markedly in the latter camp.

RK: Why would anyone put coffee on a chicken wing? It’s not my thing but I can see why you like it Dad.

Category 3: Just below the top four

The Joint — www.twitter.com/thejointldn

Buffalo and Korean

Score: 8/10

The actual chicken was among the very best we tasted all day. It was sweet, had the perfect texture and set the bar in terms of basic produce. The Buffalo wing was balanced with a sauce that coated the mouth with a rising but pleasant heat. The Korean wing was too heavy on BBQ for my liking which is why The Joint finished with 8/10 rather than more.

RK: The Korean wing was amazing but not quite the best Korean wing I had.

Butchies — www.butchies.co.uk

Buffalo and Korean

Score: 8.5/10

Beautifully presented wings with a firm satisfying crunch that led straight into great quality chicken. The sauces were spot on although there could have been a bit more Buffalo on the wing. The Korean wing again was really good but in a crowded field it fell short (and really, just short) of the top bracket.

RK: They are both brilliant. I like the mayonnaise on the Korean plate. It would be nice with some of the really spicy wings.

Other side fried — www.othersidefried.com

Smoked butter and wild honey (Buffalo not pictured)

Score: 9.5/10

Here we had another pair of wings that were properly cooked and had a crunchy coating that made a satisfying noise as you chomped it. I liked the Buffalo wing a lot but it was the smoked butter and honey wild wing that really captivated me. A small pile of these would be the perfect foil to a big pile of Buffalo wings. On a different day, they might have made the top four.

RK: Sweet and buttery, I really like that.

Category 4: The top four

The top four all scored 10/10. They each walk away with an individual prize from us. There’s two overall winners, that is to say the best pair of wings when judged together and two individual winners, our favourite single wing.

Mother Flipper — www.motherflipperburgers.com

Award: RK’s favourite overall vendor

Korean and Buffalo

Score: 10/10

We both agreed that these were beautifully presented, with a light, crisp, melt in the mouth batter and silky chicken. The sauces were both full of flavour without masking the underlying produce.

RK: Definitely my favourite pair of wings. The Buffalo wasn’t too spicy. Can we have some more please!

The Smoke Brothers — https://www.instagram.com/thesmokebrothers/

Award: RK’s favourite individual wing — The Original Wingmaster

Thunderkatsu and The Original Wingmaster

Score: 10/10

The Katsu was good with just the right level of sweetness, but it was the smoked Original Wingmaster that captivated us both. A good bark gave way to chicken so soft that only a smoker (or very gentle poaching) could provide. The Buffalo glaze was sticky and moreish. It was so good that RK even ate the stick of celery!

RK: Amazing. Can I have another one at the end please.

Wingmans — www.wingmans.co.uk

Award: My favourite overall vendor

Both wings were lovingly prepared (see below)

Score: 10/10

The wings were crisp, the chicken full of flavour and the sauces the right consistency and quantity with each of the toppings playing their part in enhancing the overall product. Several batches of these would have made me a happy man.

RK: Amazing. The Buffalo is sweet and spicy.

Le Bun — www.lebun.co.uk

Award: My favourite individual wing — Nashville Hot

Nashville Hot (Buffalo not pictured)

Score: 10/10

These wings were super crispy and had a spice dusting, glaze and sauce over them which combined to produce a complex layered spice that was hot and got hotter without ever being too much. The chicken was creamy which complimented the heat on the outside. Outstanding.

RK: I can only eat a bit because they are really spicy, but they are brilliant!

Next year

We are both looking forward to WingFest 2018. It would be great to see it at a bigger venue with more seats and perhaps something to keep the kids amused. There were a fair few there who were too young to partake in the wing based merriment but whose parents would. I accept this might not be the direction the organisers want to take the festival in, so more seats and an end to £1 per transaction card fees at the bar would be the minimum on my wish list.