Mark Laurie
The Nationwide Caterers Association
The Future of Street Food: Professionalism, Normalisation and Growth
About Mark Laurie
Mark Laurie is a director of the Nationwide Caterers Association and works to improve opportunities for UK street food traders. He co-founded Digbeth Dining Club, the award-winning weekly event which brought street food to Birmingham for the first time. Mark has helped hundreds of start-up food businesses and events to realise their potential. He recently advised the government of Hong Kong on their fledgling food truck industry and is currently working on the Street Food for Regions project to kickstart the street food industry across Europe, creating employment and supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and growth. Mark works on the Primary Authority scheme, working with stakeholders including local councils and national government departments, arguing for safe and responsible street food traders to be rewarded with opportunities to trade. He also sits on the Birmingham Food Council, the Food Business Expert Panel and advises the 8th Plate food waste project.
From exciting trends to innovative industry, how will street food evolve, grow and innovate over the coming years? And what will street food vendors have to do to capitalise on this? Professionalising the industry and its approach is the way forward.
