Ginger Ford Transit scoops award

A 13 year-old Ford Transit called Ginger has helped its owner Claire Kelsey scoop one of the top prizes at the 2011 British Street Food Awards.

The British Street Food Awards was set up to recognise the best of the 10,000 mobilers who sell their wares on Britain’s streets. Kelsey, a former chef and food stylist, took the award for the Best Dessert, while Ginger – a 1998 model Ford Transit – also claimed second place overall in the public vote Best Mobiler category.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Kelsey, who started her mobile business Ginger’s Comfort Emporium just over 12 months ago. “I hoped we would do well so I was delighted when the judges announced we’d won Best Dessert. It’s a flavour I’ve been making for quite some time now and it has obviously gone down well with the judges. 

Her winning recipe was a roast banana, salt caramel and peanut flavoured ice cream, titled “This Monkey’s Gone To Heaven” after the song by legendary US band The Pixies.

The judges included celebrity TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson and ‘Cold Feet’ and ‘Reggie Perrin’ actress Fay Ripley. “I’m not normally a sweet eater but this is absolutely delicious,” said Worrall Thompson after tasting Kelsey’s concoction during the official judging held at the music and food festival ‘Harvest at Jimmy’s’ in Ipswich. “And not only is the ice cream incredibly tasty, the van is actually very pretty too!”

The event was part of a three-day celebration of the best of British food that included a line-up of chefs, entertainers, traders and musicians such as The Divine Comedy and The Kooks at the farm of Jimmy Doherty, star of BBC 2's 'Jimmy's Farm'.

Ford is celebrating its centenary in the UK with a number of events across the country. Last month, a convoy of 10 historic and current Fords kicked off a UK tour to mark the firm’s centenary in Britain. A 1911 Model T, a 1966 Anglia and the new 2011 Ford Focus estate were among the cars flagged off in London by DJ and renowned motoring fanatic Chris Evans.