Working in the street food or mobile catering sector? We've rounded up some of the most important industry news updates and support from the last fortnight.

​Grants
Additional Restrictions Grant

Tiers across the UK
England
Wales
Scotland
Tiers for events industry

For all the latest news and updates, click here.

Do you have a cool, tasty food concept you are looking to scale? What about an amazing entertainment offering or a community-based cultural startup? Do you have a great idea? We want to help you make it happen.
Come, apply, and pitch your ideas for a chance to join our MMovement and accelerate your DREAMM project into A BIG HIT!

• If selected, you will get to develop your projects with our TeaMM and go through our MM incubation programme, which includes:
• Waived entry and set up fees (except a GBP 500 fee to print your menu and shack banner, which will be designed in collaboration with you for free)
• Tailored mentorship and support from our TeaMM

Businesses involved in community initiatives or keen to take part in them, local organisations keen to set up community partnerships, organisations with ideas for community programmes. ​

The beef brisket the king of the shredded meats. This slow cooked, soft, sweet and smoky brisket with a little kick will have your customers coming back for more.

Make sure you take a look at the rest of our recipes and see our premium sea salt flakes in action, in some of these stunning street food recipes created by Chef Rob Rooke.

INGREDIENTS: BEEF BRISKET

• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2.5-3kg beef brisket, rolled
• 3 large red onions, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
• 500ml beef stock
• 6 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 TBSP MALDON SALT
• 2 tsp black pepper
• Sub rolls/finger rolls/pitta bread to serve

INGREDIENTS: BEER CHEESE SAUCE

• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp butter
• 150-200ml beer/ale/stout
• 225ml whole milk
• 200-250g Cheddar or Gruyere cheese
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcester sauce
• ½ TSP MALDON SALT
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• (Optional) 1 pinch cayenne pepper

INGREDIENTS: GREEN PEPPERS AND ONIONS

• 3 green peppers, sliced
• 3 large onions, sliced
• 1-2 TSP MALDON SALT

METHOD:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a casserole dish/crock pot big enough to fit the beef brisket (can be cut in half if needed). Season the beef well and sear until browned all over. Lift out on to a plate. Add another tbsp of oil, add the onions and cook for 8 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 160° / 140° fan / gas mark 2. In a small bowl, mix the remaining oil, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcester sauce, chilli flakes, cayenne powder, paprika, mustard powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, MALDON SALT and pepper. Brush part of this over the meat and add the rest to the onions. Add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaves and beef stock, stir and bring to the boil.
3. Add the brisket back to the pot (fat side up) with any resting juices, cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 6 hours.
4. After 6 hours, turn off the oven and leave the brisket to rest for 15-20 minutes. Uncover and discard the butchers string, bay leaves and any fat on the brisket. Shred the meat with two forks and mix with the sauce. Cover and leave the beef to soak up the sauce whilst you prepare the beer sauce, onions and peppers.
5. For the beer sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and whisk until combined. Add the beer, whisking continuously until smooth. Slowly add the milk, whisking as you pour. Cook for 5-6 minutes, whisking until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the mustard, Worcester sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper and cayenne. Add the cheese and stir until melted. If the sauce is too thick, add some more beer or milk until you have your desired consistency.
6. Add a tbsp of vegetable oil to a frying pan over medium-to-high heat and add the sliced onions and peppers. Cook for 5 minutes or until they are soft and slightly caramelised.
7. To serve, pile the shredded beef brisket into your breads of choice and top with the green peppers, onions and the beer cheese sauce.

Find out more about Maldon Salt and claim your free POS kit here >>

​
​Alan Fox, 'How to Thrive in Street Food'
NCASS managing director, Alan’s talk, ‘How to Thrive in Street Food’, drew a big crowd as he covered the importance of good branding and marketing to make your business a success. “Most successful street food traders have a story and they share it through their branding”, he explained. “A good brand communicates a clear message about what it stands for and how it differs or is better than its competitors.”

Alan also told audiences how best to come up with a great name for a new business. “When thinking of a business name, keep it simple and incorporate your type of food or think of something snappy, clever, memorable. A strong name is a great starting point into making a strong brand.”

As for marketing, Alan went on to talk about the importance of social media. “Social media is a street food trader's best friend. It's free, you can connect with customers, you can find places to trade and you can showcase your brand to the world.” He explained that, to be successful, “You need to use social media to build up the biggest following you can. The more followers you have, the better your company and brand is known.”

Alan concluded his speech by telling the crowd that building a solid brand won’t happen overnight. “It doesn’t matter what your goal is for your business, in order to reach it as quickly and as easily as possible, effective and successful branding and marketing is integral.”
​

​Bob Fox, 'Top Tips for Street Food Success'
NCASS Chairman Bob Fox took to the stage next, drawing an even bigger crowd eager to learn from the mobile catering mogul himself on, ‘Top Tips for Street Food Success’. Bob talked of his experiences as a mobile caterer, and his mistakes and successes over the years. 

“You put a product out there and test it with customers, suppliers, your margin, the produce you buy, then you change it,” he explained. “Then you test it and you change it again. And you still might not get it right. Then the market changes, so you need to change again.” His advice? “You need to think, what do I do to make mine that bit different, that bit special to make people come back time and time and time again?” 

Bob’s final piece of advice was for business owners to get a mentor. “That’s what NCASS is about. We help with documents, finance, equipment and marketing. We work hard to ensure you succeed because your success is ours too.”

​Mark Laurie, 'The Future of Street Food'
NCASS director, founder of the Street Food Alliance and co-founder of Digbeth Dining Club, Mark Laurie had a great deal of advice for business owners looking to keep trading long into the future. “Two billion people eat street food daily around the world,” Mark explained. “It’s only in the West that it’s a new phenomenon.”

He went on to explain how street food had grown from dirty pink burgers to tacos, then bao, then a full-blown revolution. His advice, “If you follow a trend, you’re putting a time limit on your business,” was met with agreement from audience members in-the-know. Mark acknowledged Sarah and Thomas from The Mussel Pod, who farm their own mussels and cook and sell them on their street food unit, explaining that though it was hard work, the originality and authenticity was what made their business so appealing.

Mark then told the audience that, “One of the biggest threats in the industry is the appropriation of street food - fast food disguised as street food.” Mark talked of the new trend for supermarkets to sell packaged food with ‘street food’ printed on the label, and how big restaurants are beginning to open street food stalls using kitchen equipment which they’d brought outside, something a visiting EHO would not be pleased to see. “The Street Food Alliance is supporting more professional traders who follow the rules with the right attitude,” Mark explained. “Those who threaten the integrity of industry are not welcome.”

Mark’s biggest piece of advice to start ups was, “If you're looking to give up your job to spend £20,000 starting a street food business, go to a street food trader and ask to work for them for free. You might hate it. This will save you £20,000!”
​