Up to 36 street food businesses in the West Midlands are to receive free training, mentoring, and live trading opportunities as part of a new six-month programme to develop the next generation of traders.

The Street Food Incubator Pilot, led by industry experts Digbeth Dining Club (DDC) and the Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS), is backed by Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker 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.

The 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.

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.

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.

For more information on the Street Food Incubator Pilot, or to apply to participate, visit ncass.org.uk/street-food-incubator