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Posh by name, delicious by nature 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. 4
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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.
