KERB LIFE

Strengthening the platform and securing KERB's future by both barnacling and going back to our roots. In the final episode of our 10th birthday podcast series, we show how we have emerged from the pandemic more determined than ever to keep building a KERB that is robust enough to be around for another 10 years, whatever comes our way. We have partnered with larger entities and grown bigger than we’d ever imagined in the process - requiring a whole new level of professionalism. But through all the growing up and doing away of our ‘small business mentality’, we have doubled down on the elements of KERB that make us, us - committing to our roots of nurturing food entrepreneurs and creating opportunities for talented people to thrive in the ever shifting hospitality industry.

We're back with episode two of this KERB LIFE Special to celebrate a decade in London food. Here we move out of the wild abandon of start up energy and learn on the hoof about what works and what doesn’t. As ‘street food’ continues to establish itself, larger opportunities present themselves - with hundreds of thousands of KERB dishes sold in ever more unexpected places - but not without some bumps and bruises along the way! Patience, resilience and “controlling our own stoicism” is the name of the game as we pursue more control of our offer, more security for KERB's traders, and continue to dance the line between our landlords needs and our own as we seek a space of our own. Ft. Thom, Pizza Pilgrims / Zan, Bleecker / Alec, Baba G’s / Mark Fleisch Mob (now Tommy’s Pizzeria) / Betsy, You Doughnut (Betsy Buckner) / Jez, The Bowler / Simon Mitchell / Petra Barran / Rob Machin / Millie Buckle / Lianna Martin / Gemma Bell / Theo Houston / James Brookes / Tom Browne, Decatur

As KERB celebrates a decade in the capital, in the first episode of this KERB Life special, we look back at the era in London food that our street food collective sprang up out of – the fun and chaotic thrill of start-up energy and all the opportunities coming our way at a time when London seemed to be bending into a whole new culinary shape. It was bao buns, carnitas burritos, green chilli cheeseburgers, pork-fat fried schnitzel sandwiches, Holy Fuck slathred rib rolls and warm caramel drenched doughnuts – all helping to turn lunchtimes and then night times on their heads. But how long can it all last? Featuring Thom, Pizza Pilgrims / Zan, Bleecker / Alec, Baba G’s / Mark Fleisch Mob (now Tommy’s Pizzeria) / Betsy, You Doughnut (Betsy Buckner) / Jez, The Bowler / The Rib Man / Dom Cools / Simon Mitchell / Petra Barran / Rob Machin / Millie Buckle / Ollie Hunter / Lianna Martin / KS Ate Here / Gemma Bell / Prabha Rathinasabathy

When selling jollof on the streets is your life but the opportunities to sell jollof on the streets continue to be reduced, what do you do? How do you adapt? And what are the opportunities emerging out of all this difficulty? Jollof Mama [https://www.instagram.com/jollofmama/?hl=en]'s Tieyan Eweka fills me in...

Reopening at Seven Dials Market, [https://www.sevendialsmarket.com/] launching his first standalone site in Soho, packing away the meal kits (only to be plotting the secret next level of the meal kit), all while contending with hospitality curfews and a gutted central London, Tom Bickers' head is getting a bit done in, though his game face remains on point as he bikes around London, ensuring Truffle [https://www.truffle-london.co.uk/]'s survival...