I’ll have a burrito with all the Mextras

Burritos in London have been stealing the lunchtime limelight recently. Then tacos wanted a go. But set aside these Mexican fillers for one moment — it’s time to get stuck into some (M)extras

In first place it’s the tortilla chip. According to research, last year sales of packets of tortilla chips in the UK increased 14.6 per cent annually from 81,426 to 93,344. In Borough Market, the Cool Chile Co produces 3,500 tortilla chips an hour with its mighty machine, The Monster. With its newly acquired chip cutter, Cool Chile Co can now produce more chips in smaller sizes, and these are being trialled in a major Mexican restaurant; the plan is to sell them in bags in shops within six months.

Meanwhile Manomasa, a new brand of infinitely crunchy tortilla chips, has just arrived at Whole Foods Market and Fortnum & Mason. These are rolled out with golden and brown linseeds, poppy, caraway and sunflower seeds then rested, toasted and put through sunflower oil.

The result? Coarse texture, punchy flavour (from seeds, roasted garlic powder, onion and pepper) and a satisfying crunch. Flavours include chipotle and lime, sea salt and cracked black pepper and white cheese, with three newbies — tomatillo salsa, manchego and green olive, and tree bean and green lemon — arriving any minute.

Two months ago, Amazon signed a deal with Mexican food company Mex Grocer to sell more than 100 of its products — including mole, tamale-making kits and cactus leaves — on its British website, while a year ago Fergus Chamberlain founded his Gran Luchito brand, selling a range of Mexican smoked chilli products. This has already arrived at Marks & Spencer, Harvey Nichols and Ocado.

Holding up the street food banner is Breddos Tacos which, in keeping with traditional Mexican cooking methods, has begun pickling habanero chilli peppers and scotch bonnets in white wine or apple cider vinegar and other secret pickling spices. These are available at its new Shoreditch pop-up.

“The idea is to counter the fierce heat of the chilli with the sweet-sour pickle flavour of the pickling spices,” says co-founder Nud Dudhia.

The final piece of the Mexican puzzle takes us to Peckham, where nestling under a railway arch is Gringa Dairy. After leaving her job in the loans department at Lloyds Banking Group, founder Kristen Schnepp, pictured left, now makes the UK’s first queso fresco which, thanks to its crumbly and squeaky texture, is probably best described as a delicious cross between feta and halloumi.

Since Schnepp started out in April 2013, her turnover has doubled, with demand from chefs and restaurateurs (including Wahaca, Peyote, Casa Morita) in London forcing her to significantly increase production.

“I could naturally go on for hours about how different it is [to working in the city],” explains Schnepp.