Street food has been growing in popularity over the past few years. It’s not hard to see why: it gives consumers a chance to try restaurant-quality food from around the world at great prices. From a food-loving entrepreneur’s perspective, a street food business makes for a very attractive prospect.

The upfront costs are much lower than those attached to starting a restaurant, you can take your business from concept to reality in weeks instead of months, and you can pick your business up at any time and move it to where the customers are.

Related: How to jump start your food truck business

There’s never been a better time to start a street food business — especially if you live in one of the following cities, which we’ve identified as the best in the UK to set up your own mobile catering enterprise. So, read on to find out whether you’re in the perfect place to take advantage of the UK’s ever-growing love of street food.

London

There aren’t many better places in the world to start a street food business than London. As the UK’s foodie capital, Londoners and tourists are always on the lookout for exciting new foods to try. As the country’s richest city, London’s residents also have plenty of disposable income, meaning you can afford to charge enough to see a healthy profit margin.

When you set up a food truck in the capital, you’ll also have plenty of opportunities to tap into its already thriving street food audience through events like KERB markets and Street Feast. While getting in front of potential customer might be your main problem in smaller cities, you’ll have a different issue in London: standing out from the competition.

In their guide to starting your own street food business, Alliance recommends that you research what other vendors in your area are offering before launching your own food truck in a busy metropolitan city. This really rings true in London, where you’ll have to really niche down if you want to compete.

Newcastle

Head 280 miles north of London and you’ll find the UK’s second city of street food, Newcastle. With a thriving student population that has a taste for new cuisines, this is the perfect place to launch a food truck. Popular local events like the annual Christmas market and the Late Shows will give you the perfect opportunity to get in front of the city’s foodies and build up a following.

Edinburgh

Another great location to launch a food truck is Edinburgh. This thriving metropolis is a hotbed of innovative start-ups and gourmet food, making it the perfect place to set up as a street food vendor. Not only will you have the city’s student population as your customer base, but you’ll also have plenty of opportunities to increase your appeal by setting up shop at one of Edinburgh’s many weekly markets, which you can find a full list of on Edinburgh.org.

The Scottish capital also hosts a number of festivals and exhibitions, not least the famous Edinburgh Fringe, which attracts tens of thousands of tourists to the city each year. If you manage to grab a spot as a caterer at this iconic festival you can make a serious profit.

These are three of the best cities in the UK to start a street food business this year. If you’re thinking about taking the plunge and starting up your own food truck, there’s no better location than these UK foodie capitals. However, looking further afield, and especially if you are mobile and looking for festivals and pop-up locations, you could always check out the following apps and digital platforms to help you find a location:

• StreetDots – This site connects location owners, event organisers and street traders together with an online booking system. Importantly, it provides a vetting service so all parties can have some assurance when setting any business agreements.
• Street Food – A street food events company that has its own app for booking services. It covers festivals, markets, and pop-up locations or permanent pitch locations.
• Feast It – This is an online booking platform for people searching for events catering. If you can get onto the vetted listed of suppliers then you can have the opportunity to get matched up to organisers of events such as festivals, street fairs, outdoor parties etc.
• FoodHawkers – A UK-wide hub of caterers and street food traders. Event organisers can either choose from the suppliers on the platform or can list their markets, festivals, parties etc, for traders to offer their services.
• NCASS Mobile Catering – As part of their Membership package you get access to a ‘Work Opportunities’ board.

Further resources on UK street food

• 8 payment systems for festivals, pop-ups and street food markets – Our rundown of some of the bigger names in the mobile payments market
• StreetFood Live – An annual B2B event for the street food industry and mobile caterers. Ideal for traders to source products and services, find out the latest innovations in equipment, get marketing advice and free consultations, as well as network with fellow food entrepreneurs.
• The UK’s Appetite For Food Vans – Unwrapped – Some interesting data on the most popular cuisines and menus being served from food trucks.
• The Food People Infographics – Stats and trends in food and drink, presented in funky graphic formats. Find out what dishes and ‘flavour markers’ are rising and falling in popularity.
• Mobile catering: A guide to managing festival season – Featuring a useful checklist of how to prepare your business