Contract caterers get a taste of London's street food

05 July 2016 by Katherine Price

A group of contract caterers took to the streets of London last week to see how street food is transforming the capital's lunch market.

The tour, hosted by Knorr and led by street food blogger and journalist Victoria Stewart, gave contract caterers a taste of the competition they face and the challenges they must overcome to compete with street food's growing popularity.

From Pig Dogs and Brisket's meaty Mac ‘n' Cheese to BBQ Dreamz' Filipino pork belly, the tour highlighted how street food is heavily influenced by a wide range of world cuisines, and how consumers are buying into the street food experience.

To wrap up the tour, the group observed a live demonstration by Knorr's culinary team making popular street food dishes using the new Knorr Professional Pastes.

"There's a sense of real excitement and business around these markets too. Each vendor has a limited supply and we saw a lot of 'sold out' signs along the tour. Once it's gone, it's gone. While this is something contract caterers try to avoid at all costs, it creates a sense of urgency and contributes to the overall experience."

Leon Mills, Knorr marketing manager for Unilever Food Solutions, said: "With turnover growth of 16% forecast over the next two years, street food poses a significant challenge for contract caterers. However, the reality is most of them don't have the time to constantly monitor the latest trends. This tour brought those trends to life for them and presented the perfect opportunity to explore bringing street food style experiences to their restaurants."

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