Food&Fuel 2026: The First Course – Cars & Street Food at Bicester Motion

The heady aroma of unburnt hydrocarbons and sizzling Wagyu steak makes for a surprisingly agreeable combination. Such olfactory sensations are what the burgeoning-popular Food&Fuel events are becoming renowned for, combining cars and comestibles to create one of the most memorable shows on the automotive events calendar.

“More than just cars”

Cars and coffee culture has snowballed into a global movement, with the organisers behind Food&Fuel taking the concept a step further by offering high-quality street food to its attendees. The clue’s in the name. There are similar events offering decent grub, of course, but Food&Fuel aims to add variety and delve deeper into the street food movement with cooking demonstrations throughout the day.

Its mantra is “more than just cars”, stating “Food&Fuel is where it all comes together, a place to enjoy great cars, amazing food, and good company.”

Food&Fuel: The First Course

Food&Fuel 2026 kicked things off with the aptly named First Course held at car-meet-capital of the UK, Bicester Motion. The event was plotted around the outskirts of Bicester’s technical site, with show cars parked in neat rows out front, while the main food vendors congregated between the former RAF base’s main hangars.

YouTube stars Top Dead Center handpicked display cars for Hangar Green and Hangar 113, while Alex Kersten (Auto Alex) and famed Jaguar specialist Tom Lenthal were also in attendance. 

Music played a prominent role in the day’s proceedings, with the Land Rover-based ‘Compact Disco Defender’ competing for auditory superiority with a stereo-laden Mondeo. 

The atmosphere was commendably inclusive, and while almost all car-themed events are bound to be somewhat blokey, there was, on the whole, a diverse crowd, including families enjoying a day out together, many with hounds in tow.

The range of vehicles was especially interesting, with the majority being 1980s-era or newer – a sign of evolving trends. The 1990s were especially well represented, and it was great to see £500 project cars alongside £50,000 show cars. Modification is clearly popular amongst the Food&Fuel crowd, with everything from a slammed Volkswagen SP2 to a roof-tent-adorned Porsche 924 and a display of historic rally cars. Everything goes.

The Main Course

If you like the sound of some good scran and a day mooching about around some interesting metal, you should certainly give Food&Fuel a go. Their next event, The Main Course, is set to take place at the historic Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb on 22nd August 2026.