Mayor's funding offers mouthwatering opportunity to next generation of street food stars

Up to 36 street food businesses in the West Midlands are to receive free training, mentoring, and live trading opportunities with funding Mayor Richard Parker.

The Street Food Incubator is being led by industry experts Digbeth Dining Club (DDC) and the Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS), and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Connecting with the ongoing success of the UK’s flourishing street food industry, currently valued at £1.2bn, the pilot will help to drive important sources of employment and contributions to the everyday economy by onboarding a significant number of businesses.

The Street Food Incubator Pilot is part of the Mayor’s Street Markets Catapult which aims to help town and city centre high streets recapture their centuries-old role as the beating heart of the local community with a £300,000 support package to expand the variety of stalls on offer and draw in more shoppers.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The West Midlands is home to many culinary delights – from the Birmingham Balti to the Black Country’s infamous orange chips.

“Digbeth Dining Club is famous for bringing together the region’s best street food to be enjoyed by thousands of Brummies. Now they are working with us to train the next generation of street food chefs.

“My Growth Plan is unleashing the ambition of local entrepreneurs and turning their ideas and passion into thriving businesses and delicious dishes. This will bring flavour to our high streets and city centres, and may even uncover a new signature dish for the region.”

The team behind the Mayor's Street Food Incubator - Alan Fox, Jack Brabant, Henry Poultney, Roxy Bentley, Nicol Dwyer, Leonie Martin, and Clive Fletcher. Photo Lee Allen.

The pilot partnership between DDC and NCASS will see all aspects of preparation for trading for pilot participants delivered, including registering a business, insurance, safety management, HR and training through to operational, business and development skills.

The application process for new startups and established businesses located in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton and looking to move or pivot into street food is now open via the NCASS website at www.ncass.org.uk/street-food-incubator.

Successful applicants will graduate from the programme in Spring 2026.

Jack Brabant, co-founder of DDC, said: “We’re really excited for Digbeth Dining Club to be working alongside NCASS and the West Midlands Combined Authority on the WMCA Street Food Incubator Pilot.

“For over a decade, we’ve been passionate about giving independent street food traders a platform to grow, and it’s amazing to see how far the scene has come across the region.

“This pilot is a brilliant opportunity to take that support even further — helping the next generation of traders gain the skills, confidence, and experience they need to turn their ideas into sustainable businesses.

“The West Midlands has always been full of creativity and talent. Through this partnership we can continue to nurture that energy, support local entrepreneurship, and strengthen our independent hospitality scene for the future.”

Street food is recognised as a key area within hospitality, leisure, and NTE, growing at around 20% year-on-year, offering adaptability, low overheads and flexible locations for some 7,000 traders currently operating across the country.

According to recent research, 50% of UK consumers buy from a street food van at least once a week, with 64% are willing to spend more than the average daily lunch on street food.

In addition, 83% of the street food market is powered by people under 40 with new foods, flavours, and cuisines driving a large part of growth amongst Generation Z consumers.

Digbeth Dining Club (DDC) and the Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS) have worked together to support and grow the street food sector since DDC’s inception.

Alan Fox, CEO of NCASS, said: ‘We are delighted to have been selected to deliver the WMCA Street Food Incubator Pilot.

“NCASS supports catering and hospitality businesses every day, and we thank the Mayor and the WMCA for the opportunity to further support caterers and entrepreneurs in the West Midlands to make the next step to help support and grow their business.

“We are proud to have been able to be part of so many street food businesses success across the UK and are invested in entrepreneurship in a sector that is inspiring, diverse and dynamic.

“We are very much looking forward to delivering the pilot together to provide the opportunity to new and growing businesses to support independent hospitality in the WMCA region.”

The West Midlands has a rich tapestry of food driven hospitality, from the highest concentration of fine dining restaurants outside of London, to Desi pubs, ground-breaking street food markets to historical regional specialisms.

Following training and development, successful Street Food Incubator Pilot participants will trade at curated DDC events; markets and events across all WMCA areas, community events, festivals, and pop-ups across the region.

They will gain feedback on performance, customer interaction, and operational efficiency and will have full use of DDC’s infrastructure (e.g. pitch space, kitchens, promotional support) throughout the trading phase of the project.