Cooking up the Future: How McCain’s Streets Ahead programme is powering a new era of street food entrepreneurs

Innovation in food doesn't always start in test kitchens or boardrooms.

Increasingly, it begins on the streets - in food trucks, market stalls, and pop-ups, where passionate entrepreneurs are rewriting the rules of what’s possible in fast, flavour-forward, culturally rich food. McCain’s Streets Ahead programme is tapping into that pulse.

Now entering its fourth year, Streets Ahead, powered by KERB - has invested over £295,000 in emerging food talent. This year alone, £112,000 has been awarded to grassroots food traders across the UK, including a recent £54,000 boost split between eight innovative traders at the latest Streets Ahead panel day.

From advanced fusion techniques to age-old fermentation methods, this next generation is cooking with intention, cultural pride, and serious culinary vision. And with McCain backing them, these entrepreneurs aren’t just growing businesses - they’re fuelling a movement.

Techniques, Talent & Traditions: Meet the 8 Traders

These eight awardees are not just dishing up great street food. They’re applying modern cooking techniques, using food to tell authentic stories, and pushing the boundaries of convenience, sustainability and flavour.

Xenia’s by Oksana

Hero Dish: Syrnyky – Ukrainian cottage cheese pancakes, both sweet and savoury

Ukrainian-born Oksana is championing fresh convenience with her menu of high-protein, gluten-free Syrnyky - nostalgic dishes made modern. Think pistachio-topped pancakes, smoked salmon stacks, and mango-chilli drizzles - all designed for quick-serve culture without compromising on nutrition.

Her approach blends Eastern European comfort food with smart street-food design, tapping into rising UK demand for cottage cheese products (up 30-40% at retailers).

“These aren’t just pancakes - they’re a taste of heritage, of resilience, and of food that feels like home,” says Oksana.

Scotch & Spice by Sara

Hero Dish: Scotch bonnet-spiced chicken strips with cooling sides

Sara’s Caribbean-American menu is both fiery and functional. Drawing on traditional Caribbean flavours and climate-savvy cooking, her dishes are built for the rising heat - focusing on spicy, hydrating, formats that align with climate-adaptive eating.

Her food carries a philosophy: “Not for the faint of tongue.” Expect scotch bonnet heat cooled by mango slaw or mac n cheese bites, with every plate designed to help the body adapt to warming temperatures.

Ethiopic Kitchen by Woin

Hero Dish: Vegan miser wot with homemade injera

Woin’s menu is 100% plant-based, but it’s not chasing a trend - it’s rooted in the deep fasting traditions of Ethiopian Orthodox culture, which has more than 250 vegan fasting days a year.

She handmakes her spice blends (like berbere) and injera, using generational knowledge. Her food is steeped in technique, narrative, and love, showing that vegan cuisine can be powerful, filling, and culturally rich.

“It’s not watered-down vegan food - it’s food that takes time, skill and tradition.” says Woin.

Miellass by Jenan

Hero Dish: Skanjabeel - tangy, fermented date & lemon soda with mint

Jenan is bringing bold Saudi Arabian flavours to London with her signature drink, Skanjabeel - a tangy, vinegar-based soda infused with mint, lemon and dates. It’s refreshing, fermented and deeply rooted in culinary tradition, offering both digestive benefits and flavour punch.

But it’s her spiced lamb shoulder sandwich that steals the show. Slow-cooked, aromatic lamb melts into soft, toasted sub bread, layered with a vibrant cabbage, strawberry and herb slaw, creamy aioli, crispy onions, and a fiery green chilli salsa verde.

Paired with one of her cooling drinks, every bite is bold, balanced and brimming with cultural depth.

Hali’s Bakes by Halima

Hero Dish: Celebration cupcakes

Halima’s bright, joyful cakes are more than desserts - they’re celebrations in edible form. Specialising in bespoke cakes and cupcakes, her work often features floral flavours, creative colour palettes, and precise piping techniques.

She’s one of a growing wave of bakers elevating baking into an expressive art form.

Elliottz Grill by Elliott

Hero Dish: Nigerian-style shawarma with custom spice blends

Bringing the bold, comforting flavours of Lagos to London, Elliottz Grill serves Nigerian home-style street food made with speed, soul, and serious flavour.

His dishes are rooted in family recipes and elevated for modern Londoners on the go. From smoky jollof and fragrant fried rice to crispy, suya-spiced fries and his hero dish: Nigerian shawarma, a flatbread wrap packed with grilled chicken, spicy mayo, cabbage and tomato sauce.

With generous portions, bold seasoning and accessible pricing, Elliott is proving that authentic food doesn’t need to be fussy, just honest, hot, and packed with heritage.

Family Taste by Vlod

Hero Dish: Ukrainian chicken shawarma

Vlod’s Family Taste brings Ukrainian flavours to the streets with fusion-inspired wraps that balance tradition, creativity, and pure comfort. His signature dish is a thin lavash wrap filled with juicy, curry-spiced chicken, fresh veg, garlic dill sauce, and spicy carrot is grilled to crispy perfection and packed with flavour.

What started as one family food trailer has become a mission to share the taste of home with London. It’s food that feels familiar and fresh all at once, rooted in Ukrainian heritage, reimagined for street food lovers.

Made with love, served with heart.  Family Taste turns every meal into a memory.

MezMiz by Louai

Hero Dish: Chicken Sunset Harvest – chicken breast glazed in fig/date sauce, apple, pineapple & spice

Louai’s Chicken Sunset Harvest is a masterclass in modern flavour layering. Each component -fruit, meat, spice - is designed to build complexity, with notes unfolding like a melody. From smoky sujuk sandwiches to fragrant carrot and rocket salads, his Syrian dishes offer rich cultural authenticity with fine-dining finesse.

“Each plate is composed like music, warm, sharp, soft, crisp. It’s food with rhythm.” Explains Louai.

McCain’s Mission: Backing Big Ideas from the Ground Up

For McCain, it’s a strategy grounded in innovation, diversity, and community. Through Streets Ahead, McCain is spotlighting the kind of food concepts that could become the high streets, QSRs, and consumer favourites of the future. Their mission is simple, to help the future generations of operators flourish, and together, change lives through street food.

And the results are clear. Over the past three years:

•            £295,000+ invested direct into new business concepts

•            40+ traders supported

•            Cuisines spotlighted from across the globe

The programme has become a unique launchpad - not just for the traders, but for the future of food itself.

What the Industry Can Learn

The traders in Streets Ahead are surfacing clear trends and techniques the wider industry should watch:

•            Flavour Layering: Bold contrasts, fermentation, and spice integration are key to keeping modern palates engaged.

•            Cultural Integrity: Customers want real stories, not diluted versions of global cuisine.

•            Function-Forward Menus: Expect body-cooling, nutrient-dense, and no-cook meals to grow.

•            Ingredient Reinvention: From cottage cheese to date soda, familiar ingredients are getting a fresh twist.

•            Visual & Sensory Appeal: Instagrammable plating and bold sensory cues are table stakes now.

As McCain and KERB enter the fourth year of Streets Ahead, the message is clear: big food ideas start small - but with the right backing, they can go far. Whether it’s a fermented soda or a slow-cooked stew, today’s street food is shaping tomorrow’s menus.

And thanks to brands like McCain putting real investment behind real talent, the future of food is already being served.

To find out more about the streets ahead programme click this link.