The growth of the street food van – getting mobile.

The growth of the street food van

Until about 20 years ago, street food was a remote concept in the UK. Luckily for Brits, however, the street food craze has been growing fast, not only satisfying our hunger for distinct cuisines but also weaving increasingly into our daily lives.

CHANGING HABITS

The Covid 19 pandemic put a spin on the way we eat out, with many indoor venues having to shut their doors. Business entrepreneurs spotted the opportunity to cut their rental costs signifi cantly, attract new customers, and literally be at the market forefront by going mobile.

Consumers are in favour of this trend too, with 50% of consumers already buying street food at least once a week well before the response to Covid, and 64% happy to spend more than the average lunchtime spend (£5 in UK) on street food. 72% like the variety of fl avours in street food, and the majority of street food market users are under 40 years old (83%) (Santa Maria Foodservice’s, Street Food Report October 2016 data).

THE STREET FOOD REVOLUTION

With about 2.5 billion street food enthusiasts around the world who indulge in meals prepared on the go on a daily basis (Selling street food and snacks, Peter Fellows and Martin Hilmi, 2011), the street food industry is a fl ourishing one.

Street vendors such as food booths, food carts, and market stalls off er consumers an appetising quick bite, but the one type of vendor that has been catching the eyes of many over the past 10 years, and far more recently, is the street food van.

Currently, there are over 7,000 units that serve food throughout the UK at festivals, markets, and stadiums, and they’re seeing a continuous growth of 20% year on year (startups.co.uk). Recently,

the appetite for mobile food vans has extended beyond recreational events and is now catering for office workers at business estates all around the country.

The early morning beep outside of your office building is now very likely synonymous with the arrival of an exciting breakfast. It seems that the food van is winning over the classic supermarket meal deal, if 64% of consumers are more than willing to spend more on satisfying street food than the average lunchtime spend (Santa Maria Foodservice’s, Street Food Report October 2016 data).

Since this is still a fairly new, developing concept, many might still be wondering how to go about serving meals on wheels.

THE PROS AND CONS OF SETTING UP A FOOD VAN

Setting up a food van is a great entrepreneurial adventure, and if you do things right, you’ll reap the many benefits of the mobile food business, report Ford van leasing company, Van Ninja. But before you start making a business plan, there are two vital things to consider, the company propose - you need to be in for the long haul, and you need to absolutely love food.

Of course, money is an important part too. Luckily, however, running a food van business is much more cost-effective than serving meals on physical premises. In fact, the cost of setting up a restaurant can be well over £50,000, if not considerably more, whereas the prices for food vans can start from under £5k for a used catering trailer, according to the Nationwide Caterers Association.

There is a wide variety of food trucks to suit a variety of needs and budget. If you want a small new trailer or a second-hand van, you’re likely to pay around £5k–£10k. If a new convertible vehicle is a better option for you, then be prepared to pay £20k+.

Streetfood.org.uk has rounded up the pros and cons of setting up your food van business. A chance to cook your favourite dishes while putting an end to the nine to five schedule and paying a low rent of £30–£100 per day are just two of the benefits to be had from such a business. However, laws against trading locations, the early, unstable hours, and initial low profits might well be a put-off for some.

FOOD VAN ESSENTIALS

Before you start selling food, you’ll need to adapt your van to your needs, and starting with a used van will mean that you can spread your budget around the essentials.

Some of the most important things you’ll need include an extractor fan for steam, a fridge (and freezer, if needed), fire-fighting equipment, good lighting, utensil storage, and separate hand and dishwashing sinks.

Once you have the basic layout prepared, it’s time to call upon your DIY skills. You’ll need them in order to set up a stove, a food prep area, storage for food, and water heaters and tanks. A draining board, a grease trap, and a waste disposal system are also needed.

Lastly, you need to decide what food you’re going to serve – that’s the fun part! According to Chef’s Pencil, Britain’s favourite cuisines include Chinese, Thai, Italian, Indian, Mexican, and American, amongst others. The hunger for “authentic experiences” is real; 45% of the respondents who took part in a Caterer.com survey recently claiming that food stalls provide them with a more bona fide experience than high-street restaurants.

If you’ve been looking for your next business adventure, a street food van might well be the right fit. It’s cost-effective, flexible, and comes with a host of other benefits for today’s more challenging food retailing environment.

Set-up checklist 3

Don’t know where to start setting up your food van business from? This checklist will help you with the kick-off.

1. Buy and equip your own van, either new or used.

2. Register as a business with HMRC. 3. Register as a food business with your local authority, and get a food hygiene rating from the

Environmental Health.

4. Get public liability insurance for your business and your employees. 5. Have a Gas Safe engineer fit and certify your gas equipment. 6. Get a PAT test certificate for your electricity. 7. Get a personal food hygiene certificate.

8. Set up a website and promote your business on social media. 9. Buy stock, get in touch with events/festivals/locations, and start cooking!