I tried the UK’s best kebab

AS I bite into a pitta bread loaded with delicious pork belly and oozing with onions and salad, I know this is a kebab like no other I’ve ever tried.

It was cooked at a kebab shop recently voted as “the UK’s best”, and after tasting my way through the menu, I can see why it won.

It’s the second year running that Fig Tree Grill in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, has won the prestigious award.

So, with an growling belly, I went along to see what all the fuss was about.

‘No ordinary kebab shop’

When you arrive, it’s immediately obvious that this is no ordinary kebab shop.

It’s super smart, with a lovely seating area – and you can smell the meat as soon as you open the door.

My mouth was watering whilst I waited for the food to cook.

Owner Nicholas Louca opened the restaurant with his father Sotiris four-and-a-half years ago and the pair say the key to their amazing food is quality, fresh ingredients and recipes that have been in their family for generations.

Nicholas’ grandad, also called Nicholas, is Cypriot and ran a restaurant in Larnaca, Cyprus, most of his life.

“For us, it’s all about consistency – every meal we serve, we want it to be the best.

Nicholas Loucaowner of Fig Tree Grill

The pork belly “souvla'”, or kebab, is one of their house specials and best-sellers, so that is what I decide to try first.

It’s absolutely huge – almost enough for two people and is full of succulent pork belly which has been cooked on skewers over charcoal.

The meat is the key ingredient here. It’s succulent inside, with a nice crisp bite and smoky flavour – and there is tons of it.

The pitta was soft and moreish, too, and it was oozing with fresh salad – a nice change from the floppy lettuce you sometimes get.

There’s one catch: it does cost £11.95. Good food doesn’t come cheap.

But, for the price, I thought it was actually very good value, as it was so big that there was easily enough to take home for the next day’s lunch.

It also comes with sides of Taramasalata and Tzatziki, which were also to die for and again, they were very generous helpings.

One of the stand-out meals was Sheftalia, an old Cypriot recipe of pork mince with onion and parsley, and Loukanika, a delicious Cypriot sausage.

It is worth noting here, though, that this is not the kind of kebab you should order on the way home from a night out at 3am.

It’s amazing food, and you should definitely order it when you can savour every bite – it’s also too huge to carry around in one hand.

Nicholas, 42, says the chefs don’t even marinate most of their food. It’s simply down to picking good quality meat, cooking it for a long time – and with a bit of salt.

He opened the restaurant pre-Covid after falling out of love with his job as a barber.

“My heart wasn’t in it anymore and I’ve always loved food and cooking,” he said.

“I used to cook with my grandad when I was young and I’m really passionate about good, home cooked food.

“I found the restaurant and we went for it. Then Covid hit and we were worried we might not survive.

“But since lockdown, we’ve gone from strength to strength. We started getting booked up and doing lots of takeaways.

“For us, it’s all about consistency – every meal we serve, we want it to be the best.

“We have lots of loyal customers now who come back week after week.”

The British Kebab Awards – which run in association with JUST EAT and are supported by the Kebab Alliance – are in their eleventh year and this year, attracted record breaking numbers of entries.

But Fig Tree Grill scooped the award for the second year running.

I left feeling absolutely stuffed. Not only was the food delicious, the staff were friendly, the portions were generous and it was great value.

So, if you’re ever in the Potters Bar neck of the words, definitely pop in. It is indeed the best. You have the judges word for it – and mine.

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