A Liverpool cook famed for his "authentic" tacos has been recognised by the British Street Food Awards 2023.
Speaking to the ECHO, Joe said: "Even before I started working for Altos Tequila, I was opening tequila bars in Liverpool and London and all over. I used to run bars and go out to Mexico quite a lot and I noticed when I was out there, [the tacos] were hand pressed with fresh dough. Joe, who's originally from Rhyl in North Wales but has lived in Liverpool for 15 years, decided to use his job loss as the springboard to start the brand. Joe continued: "After I got made redundant, I had redundancy money which was enough to pay my mortgage a few months and enough to buy a marquee - just a plain one off Amazon - a fold-out table, a hot plate to put my tortillas on, and a bain-marie.
Several friends and followers tagged Joe in the British Street Food Awards' social media posts, which led to him putting in an application and now, he's a contender to be named the best in the north. If he's successful, he could go on to the European leg of the awards. On why his tacos are so popular with food lovers, Joe said: "So many people reach out to me and say how great my tacos are but there's nothing unique about them, it's just that the base is fresh and hand-pressed to order, and it makes such a difference. I do all my own toppings to be original, too.