THE streets of Athens couldn’t have been hotter at midday than Oxford city centre as we made our way along the blinding cobbles of Market Street to The Covered Market, whose relative coolness provided temporary sanctuary from the sun.

It therefore seemed fitting that our lunch for the day was Greek as we wove our way through the colourful stalls, shops, restaurants and take-aways of this medieval hub where food traders and gourmets alike have thronged for centuries.

Suffering at the moment, like so many traders, while we are momentarily blinded by the newer, bigger but nowhere near as charming and original Westgate Centre, perhaps we just need a gentle reminder to keep supporting the businesses there as The Covered Market is part of our heritage and should be treasured.

Its obvious charms certainly attracted The Souvlaki Brothers who have set up shop there, enriching the cluster of health food stalls, cafes and more specialised shops which sell everything from ice cream, cookies, milkshakes, and paninis to international food from France and Thailand to name but a few.

What started as a pop-up for the duo Panny and Yan Skrivanos in 2015 at local festivals and markets such as Bitten Street and North Parade, has now set down roots with a permanent base, focusing on their love for the delicious Greek street food souvlaki.

According to legend, unable to find a truly authentic version of the traditional Greek wrap in the UK, they’ve seized the bull by the horns and introduced souvlaki to us themselves. For those yet to try one, the skewers of chargrilled pork, lemon chicken, beef meatballs or grilled halloumi are then wrapped in a thick blanket of a pita and served with tomato and onion salad, homemade tzatziki, crispy fries, fresh lemon juice and a dusting of paprika for £6 a pop.

But is this concept enough to sustain a whole business?

Yes judging by the number of customers queueing for lunch when we arrived, all staring at the blackboard, choosing what to have. While the traditional pork offering was a must, the thought of the salty cheese option on such a hot day was also a given.

For those of you trying to affiliate doners with souvlaki, this is no kebab van. For a start doner kebabs hail from Turkey and are made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie and then filled with more middle eastern ingredients such as humous, tahini, tomato, lettuce, cabbage, onion, or pickled cucumber.

The Greeks like to keep things simpler, grilling their fillings on a skewer and then adding them to the puffy pitas, surrounding them with finely sliced red onions, juicy tomatoes, fresh lemon juice, a wonderfully garlicky tstatsiki made with yoghurt and cucumber and then adding chips (bonus) dusted with paprika, which might sound like an odd combination, but is actually the perfect comfort food.

Neither are souvlaki as quick as a kebab, the meat and cheese actually cooked in front of you, rather than being sliced off the old ‘elephants leg’, so be patient.

While we were waiting we looked around the clean, fresh, blue and white styled interior of the premises which formerly housed Fasta Pasta.

On the wall is a mandolin and framed black and white photos of the Souvlaki Brothers’ father and grandfathers, all standing outside their own Greek restaurants back in the day, proving that the hospitality gene is alive and well.

Once cooked we said yes to everything and were handed said souvlaki, folded up like a cone and wrapped, literally bulging with promise.

We headed back out into the sun to find a bench and chow down on these enormous wraps.

However, as I discovered, the juice, however well wrapped, seeped out long before we found anywhere to sit, by which time it was splashing all over my sandals, but I cared less.

Because biting and then chewing through the juicy meat, tomatoes and cheese, offset by the tang of onion and the soft sweet tomatoes, was worth the washing alone.

Generous, succulent and filling, I can see why there were so many students and strapping lads queuing up, the sheer quantity almost overwhelming.

By the end of the halloumi souvlaki in particular I was cheesed out.

And as we wiped our hands and rubbed our bellies we agreed that The Souvlaki Brothers look set to take Oxford by storm.

The only shame is that they aren’t open at night when the munchies really take hold and the kebab vans do a roaring trade.

Because this isn’t just competition; it’s an entire alternative to fast food.

Instead you need to catch them on site from Monday to Saturday 9.30am–5pm and then Sunday from 10am-4pm for a little taste of Greece.

Just make sure you bring a napkin.