The McCain Streets Ahead Programme, powered by KERB, has completed its latest Food Development session - an intensive practical workshop supporting aspiring street food entrepreneurs as they refine their dishes and prepare to build pitch decks for the next stage of the programme.
Held twice per year, the Food Development session gives participants the opportunity to cook their signature dish and receive structured feedback on flavour, execution, workflow, costings and operational viability. The session is led by McCain Development Chef Louis Hines, who brings expertise from fine dining, independent kitchens and running his own street food business.
“Street food requires creativity and precision,” Louis said. “My role is to help participants understand how their ideas translate into high-volume, real-world trading. A dish must be delicious, but it must also be consistent, scalable and commercially sound.”
The recent session saw entrepreneurs present culturally diverse and highly original concepts - something Louis believes reflects the strength of the UK’s emerging food talent. “Street food is where new ideas surface first. You can see genuine cultural expression in these dishes, and that’s what makes the programme so exciting.”
Participants now move on to preparing pitch decks, which determine whether they will be invited to the programme’s upcoming Panel Day. Selected entrepreneurs will pitch their business concepts to industry judges for the chance to receive up to £10,000 of McCain investment to support their launch.
Louis will be assessing how effectively participants apply their feedback. “Have they developed the dish? Have they tightened costings? Are they ready to trade? That progression is what we’re looking for.”
The Streets Ahead Programme continues to demonstrate McCain’s commitment to supporting future operators, strengthening the talent pipeline and investing in the long-term growth of the hospitality sector.
