Parmogeddon at Chow Down: Meet the foodie couple bringing an indulgent North East takeaway staple to Leeds

Parmogeddon was founded by chef Kyle Wilson and his partner Ellie Grimshaw in 2019, putting a street food spin on parmo.

The dish, also known as Teesside Parmesan, consists of a breaded cutlet of chicken, béchamel sauce and melted cheese on top, traditionally served with chips and garlic sauce.

Ellie, who grew up in Barnsley, was blown away when Kyle first introduced her to the indulgent treat and the pair began to experiment with different flavour combinations.

Their business is rapidly expanding across the UK and Parmogeddon is among the latest vendors to land at outdoor venue Chow Down.

"When I met Kyle, we grew this pipe dream of setting something up," Ellie, 29, told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“I’d never heard of parmo before I met him. When I discovered it, I realised it was amazing - not many places serve it outside of Middlesbrough.

"His expertise in the industry has allowed us to get off our feet and get cracking with it.

“The plan was for Kyle to do it on his own and for me to stay in work until it got busy. But it was so well-received, much better than we expected.

"Within three months we were both doing it full time.

“We’ve continued to grow and we’re looking forward to getting to Leeds - neither of us have spent much time in Leeds apart from the odd street food event.”

Ellie and Kyle make all their food from scratch, from their chips to their condiments, and they believe parmos offer something for everyone.

The menu includes a vegetarian parmo made with cauliflower steak and toppings such as diced chorizo, truffle mac and cheese and buffalo sauce.

“It’s the ultimate indulgent food," Ellie added.

“In Middlesbrough it’s the food you crave after a night out.

"We’ve taken the recipe and put a street food spin on it. We have a lot of fun with flavour profiles and different toppings and we’re doing parmo bao buns at the minute.

“We’re constantly trying to keep the menu fresh and exciting, while still staying true to the original dish.”

Chow Down, based in Temple Arches, has been transformed into a sun-kissed summer haven and Parmogeddon will serve hungry revellers from the new Downtown Food Village.

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“We’ve been aware of it for a while," Ellie said.

"Chow Down is very foodie-driven which is the perfect platform for us. We want to thrive in that scene and be an offering that people look forward to trying.”

After launching in summer 2019 and battling through the pandemic, Parmoggedon now boasts a permanent home in Manchester, as well as serving at street food events and festivals across the North.

Ellie added: “We’ve had to adapt through the pandemic, but despite that we’re still growing.

"It shows the commitment we have for the business and how much we want it to work.

“We want to have a hold in each northern city in the street food scene, keeping in those community spaces, and getting into London would be great.

“We want to keep spreading parmos across the UK.”