The Mussel Men

Pop-up restaurants, pop-up shops, and pop-up boutiques, pop-ups have become ubiquitous in the capital, whether it is Chanel or Marmite who are behind the venture. But what happens when the shop is broken down and everything is packed away? Where do these people go? Are they nomads, forever trawling the planet like circus folk, offering their wares to whoever will take them?

One venture that is making the transition from pop-up stall into restaurants is The Mussel Men, led by Robin Dunlop. A finalist in the British Street Food Awards last year, he and his team have taken The Mussel Men from the Edinburgh Fringe to music festivals to short-term residencies in London’s bars and cafés.

The food is quite simple, a decent set-up of mussels, French fries and waffles. My companion and I went for the combination offer of a kilogram of mussels, fries, a bottle of prosecco and waffles to finish. While the food is not the most innovative or the most jaw-dropping in terms of quality, it is only a small part of the experience. When the genesis of your operation comes from festivals and serving food on the street, there is always going to be a lot more joviality and playfulness.

This is seen in one of the challenges offered by Captain Bob, Dunlop’s alter ego. Beat him in a thumb war and you’re able to win food, t-shirts and a huge smile of satisfaction. We locked hands, repeated the battle cry of ‘1-2-3-4, I declare a thumb war’, we bowed and our thumbs kissed before retreating back to respective corners like stubby wrestlers. The aim of a thumb war is to pin the other person’s thumb down for four seconds and it did not take long for Captain Bob to use the massive disparity in our strengths to claim a resounding victory.

I then suffered another loss at the hands of my companion who used her larger than average thumb as well as the slightly smaller disparity in our strengths to claim the win. For a moment, I looked around to see if there was an available infant that I could beat in order to salvage some kind of pride. One was right behind me and for a period of time that now feels very awkward to think about, I honestly thought about laying down a challenge to a child who could have been no more than six-years-old. The moment passed and I got back to my mussels.

What The Mussel Men offer is an exceedingly enjoyable night out with good food, a lively atmosphere and an emphasis on light-heartedness. Check out their website to see where they are popping up next.

Tel: 020 3239 9047