Hitchin has become a real hub for street food, with plenty of beloved and popular restaurants throughout the town - but, one is taking the street food world by storm.
Amani Al-Sitrawi launched Amani Kitchen back in 2019, using recipes passed down through generations of her family to prepare the finest Middle Eastern food around.
"I am from Iraq, and Middle Eastern food is a lot of the same dishes," she told the Comet.
"We try to make our dishes attractive to the majority of the crowd, because when you go to an event and you see the traditional Middle Eastern food stalls, they will all be selling the same thing.
"We are a niche in the market really, by creating traditional dishes with a twist.
"We make everything fresh and from scratch, and our recipes have been passed down through generations of our family.
"We put lots of love and care in, and we think all of that makes us very special."
Amani took the jump into starting her own food business just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the UK was put into lockdown.
Despite this, Amani Kitchen began to thrive.
"Having a business like this is something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a kid," she said.
"I had my career and family to focus on, but one day I decided it was the right time to quit my job and start the business.
"We started doing markets at the end of 2019, but COVID-19 hit, and things were all a bit scary.
"My husband is an A&E doctor, so I supplied the hospital staff with food to support them.
"I was posting the food on social media as well, and people started contacting me and asking if they can order. Obviously, it was for the hospital staff so we couldn’t, but I started doing batch cooking and people would come and collect it.
Get more stories like this delivered to your inbox every week by signing up to The Comet In Brief newsletter.
"We were doing takeaways throughout the week, and weekend specials too, and for our customers who were sitting at home and not able to go out, it was something for them to look forward to.
"I was overwhelmed with orders at that time, and my children would help with the packaging, but it gave people a refuge because they had someone to talk to, even just for five minutes at a distance.
"I’m so grateful for all the support from the people of Hitchin, it’s my hometown and it really means a lot."
Amani Kitchen had created a name for itself during lockdown, and it went to the next level when life returned to normal.
The business won the People's Choice Award at the South-Eastern Heats of the British Street Food Awards.
Amani confidently admitted she went there to win, but still can't quite believe she did.
"When I look at the trophy, it still doesn’t feel real," she explained.
"It’s something we are really proud of and we’re delighted to be able to win this in such a short period of time.
"When we got the email telling us we’d been shortlisted we were nervous, but I told everyone we are going there to win, and that’s what we did. It really motivated us."
READ MORE: Café 77 burger hailed as 'best ever' at Street Food Awards
Amani Kitchen has been supported by Hitchin's thriving restaurant community, which is earning itself quite the reputation around the country, with Amani revealing: "When we got to events or awards, people are asking about Hitchin and what’s happening in the town."
The businesses metoric rise has been supported by other established Hitchin street foodies, including Cafe 77, Cantina's Carnitas and Chicken George, with Amani grateful for their continued support.
"We are all good friends with each other, and it’s such a good community," she said.
"It’s really thriving, and Hitchin is become well known for its food.
"We always look to them for help. They’ve been doing this for a long time and they are always happy to support us."
And like those businesses, Amani hopes to one day have a permanent home in Hitchin town centre, adding: "I would love to open a shop one day, but it’s a hard and stressful job.
"You need a lot of staff around you. I’ve got a family to take care of and being mobile allows us more freedom which is good for us.
"I would still love a base somewhere in Hitchin, because I miss the face-to-face contact with customers. Maybe a smaller shop to start would be the way to go, so it’s something I would like to do in the future."
Whatever is next for Amani Kitchen, the future certainly looks bright.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here