Armed with very little other than an unbounded passion for cooking, Chef Matei Baran arrived in the UK from Romania in 2009 with the sole aim of making his mark in the culinary world. Fast-forward to 2022 and Matei has featured on BBC One’s MasterChef, won critical acclaim for his private dining experiences and more recently, opened his first brick and mortar restaurant at Stack Seaburn. Matthew Thomas takes a deep dive into the cutting-edge gastronomy concept that’s taking Sunderland’s seaside by storm…

With over 25 years of experience in the kitchen, Chef Matei Baran has been using his expertise to create unique and high quality gastronomical dishes for the masses. A hugely accomplished chef, Matei cut his teeth in Romania, watching his father cook hearty dishes in the family kitchen and studying the great Michel Roux Jr. before graduating from culinary school at Newcastle College. Matei then ventured into the culinary world by offering private fine dining experiences and tailored menus at weddings, food festivals and private parties. His events have since become the stuff of legend and are renowned across the North East for sumptuous feasts featuring vibrant produce and contemporary takes on classic dishes. Yet, it’s Matei’s latest venture, PoshStreetFood, that is getting people really excited. Located 30ft away from Sunderland’s award-winning coastline, PoshStreetFood first opened in October 2021 and from the get-go had diners, passers-by and dog walkers’ interests piqued. Inside, Matei has kitted out his restaurant with a striking mural of Roker Lighthouse and the Sunderland coastline from local artist, Ali Goh. Monochrome flooring provides a subtle juxtaposition to the vibrant walls and the framed hi-res photography of Matei’s menu offers diners a visual representation. PoshStreetFood offers a carefully curated bespoke menu that provides patrons with a tasty morsel of classic European and Middle Eastern cuisine. A great example of this is the slow-cooked short rib kebab with tangy horseradish yoghurt, pickled red cabbage, beef broth, crispy onions and tikka dust - a contemporary take on the traditional British roast.

Whereas those looking to be whisked away to sunnier climates can devour one of Sunderland’s best tasting dishes, the Mediterranean monkfish. Tender, bite-size fish fillets are grilled to perfection with chillies and garlic before a layer of sriracha yoghurt, pickled red cabbage, tikka dust, Bombay mix, crispy onions and a drizzle of chilli oil. A fusion of exquisite flavours and vibrant produce. The most popular dish, by far, is the belly pork kebab. Matei has marinated a succulent cut of meat with Asian spices to provide a sumptuous melt-in-yourmouth meaty moment that’s layered on a bed of fries, fresh salad and generously topped with sesame seeds. Outside of the Masterchef’s culinary bubble, Matei spends a great deal of time enjoying family life and sharing his gastronomy skills with his son, Armin, who is showing signs of following in his father’s footsteps. Not surprising, given Matei has published Big Chef Mini Chef – Cooking for Kids with Kids; a book stuffed with joy, inspiration and appealing recipes for kids that are guaranteed to have the pages smeared with chocolate and tomato sauce - a sign of success. A big summer awaits PoshStreetFood and Stack Seaburn. Despite opening during the pandemic, Stack Seaburn has become a huge hit with more than 700,000 people visiting in its first year of trade. That number is set to increase in 2022 and for those visiting in the coming weeks, a gastronomic treat of contemporary street food awaits.