The mobile catering sector is in a state of emergency & needs your help. 

We are The Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS), a trade body that represents 6,500 independent food & drink businesses who have been forgotten by government at this critical time.

85% of our members are mobile caterers specialising in street food, event / festival and function catering. 

These are the people whose food you share across social media, who are leading the way when it comes to creativity in food, who make their pitches destinations, who add so much to the food & drink industry, whose food you queue up to eat.

They feed us when we’re on the go, when we’re socialising, when we’re at events, in a festival field, at the much loved street food markets across the country. They now have no access to income and nowhere to trade. They need your support!

The recent support measures announced for the hospitality industry do not apply to our members. Cash grants of up to £25,000 are only applicable for businesses who pay business rates. The vast majority of mobile caterers are self-employed and do not buy business rates as they have no fixed premises.  

These grants should be made available to any and all hospitality businesses regardless of whether they operate a fixed premises.  

Loans are seemingly the only option here for our members and increased debt is not an attractive response to a situation that is completely out of anyone’s hands, that nobody could foresee and is nobody’s fault. 

Access to grants could enable mobile caterers to survive the coming months. Without them, many will be forced to apply for universal credit and likely have no choice but to shut down. 

PLEASE HELP SAVE THIS SECTOR OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 

We need the Government to:  

(1) Include mobile and independent catering businesses (that don’t pay business rates as they have no premises) in the emergency plans and financial support for the hospitality sector. In particular, access to the grants available.  

(2) Allow caterers to support the country during this emergency. They can help feed the critical workers / key staff throughout this very difficult time. 

(3) Include mobiles caterers in planning permission changes to enable mobile and independent catering businesses to pivot to takeaway / collection.

(4) Extend The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to the self-employed. 

Please do all you can – sign this petition, write to your MP using our template (you can find it at www.ncass.org.uk/coronavirus), fill in our industry Survey, and speak to us if you need support.

This is far from over!

Thank you for your support.