Monster Munchies: I make bao buns at The Barras with added Scottish flavours

Last time I was walking through The Barras with my kids, Colin Jenkinson called me over for a chat. There was a constant stream of people approaching his food stall to order bao buns, our conversation punctuated by cod, kimchi and hoisin duck. Lots of waves from regular visitors to the market and other traders. Colin went from two decades working in restaurants to doing his own thing and specifically wanted to be part of the community here. His food stall gives him the chance to make the food that interests him.

His bright graffiti sign is easy to spot in the main market hall. “This is based on a nineties vintage toy, My Pet Monster. The menu, it changes roughly every month. It's all round Taiwanese bao buns, salt and chilli fries. I've got my salt and chilli mix. I'm pretty proud of it And the baos as well. I'm really proud of them. I've got a good reputation for them, so I want to keep that going.

One of his more unusual flavours is Irn Bru chilli sauce: “It’s a sweet chilli sauce base with cans of Irn Bru, whacked through it. It works really well - sweet, but not overly sweet, spicy as well. I just wanted to do something Glaswegian and Scottish as well.” Colin is constantly trying out new things with ingredients: “I used to have a restaurant and I tried to incorporate Asian specials in my dishes just because I enjoyed them. I go to Asian supermarkets and I want to keep learning.”

Joining together Asian flavours he enjoys with a local element is “exactly what I want to do” he says. “I want to join the two in a way. It’s not for everyone but I make it for me and if I believe in it, then hopefully as a chef it'll work.”

His pal created the artwork for the stall, “Monster Munchies kind of worked and it's just evolving. I love it. It's eye-catching, so it maybe draws you to it a bit. It's just something different. I don't want to just be like everybody else. I want my own brand. That's where I'm at.

What’s it like running a stall at The Barras: “It's very welcoming and they help you through a lot of stuff in your life through your work. Everybody knows everybody. Everybody looks after everybody. That's the main thing. Nobody stepped on each other's toes. I used to love coming here with my family and that, it was absolutely bouncing, like rocking, especially when it's hot. So it's back to that stage now, come here for one of the events and you'll not be able to move here. The queue will go right up. It's not back. It's always been here, but The Barras is actual better than the way it used to be. Do you know what I mean? So yeah, I love it man. Bring it on.”

Watch the video above as we talk to Colin at his stall and see our reporter Kaitlin Wraight try some of the bao buns.