NCASS Veterans Dish Up Their Secrets To Success

To achieve longevity is to not only survive the test of time, but to succeed it. In the world of hospitality, we know this is no easy feat!

In this article that featured in the December issue of our Catering Quarterly magazine, we spoke to a range of longstanding NCASS members who have each been there and seen it all, to find out what they would attribute their longstanding success to:

 

Churros Garcia

A legend of churros – running as a business for over fifty years and spanning three generations, they have appeared in The Guardian’s top 10 street food vendors list and always light up events!

What do you love the most about working in the hospitality industry?

It is a different way of life from the office based career I had landed in. I love the buzz we get from the customers, I love the huge smiles that greet us when we make them sooo happy giving them churros. I never made anyone that happy in a boardroom. The range of characters and nationalities is also a bonus – people come into streetfood from ALL walks of life.

Based on your own experience, what steps do you think are integral to the long-term success of a business?

Good staff. They are our lifeblood. Also, you need to be a constant, not just a fair-weather trader. Organisers need to know they can rely on you, and you need to work with organisers that are on your side, therefore building up a two-way relationship that is imperative to success. The look and running of the stall is also hugely important. The devil, as always, is in the detail. Authenticity is also a must. My mother was a Spanish Churros maker, so not many people in the world know more about the true authentic churros than us! The phrase we often hear is “you can see how proud you are of what you do”.

What about working in the sector appealed to you and has that continued to motivate you to stay within the industry?

Running your own business is thrilling and terrifying in equal measure but it can give you the flexibility to live the other parts of your life as you wish (which is a huge bonus). For example, I had young children and did not want to continue a9-5 job as I wanted to be there for the school run, homework etc. That meant I did all my emails at 4am – 7am, but that was far better than getting home just before their bed-time every day. It never gets boring – and that is a HUGE plus. Also – what other job lets me camp and work in festival fields with my (older) children, their friends, whilst working with a bonkers but utterly fabulous set of staff? What other job lets me see the “waggiest tail” competition at a dog show, whilst giving out our lovely churros?

If you could go back in time, what is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self before starting your business?

You are the boss. Everyone else has great ideas for how you can improve your business, but stick to your vision (as long as it is working). If you need advice, ask old-time traders – we all have had to go through the
same problems in one form or another.

What words would you use to summarise the ‘secret’ to your success?

Authenticity, pride, reliability, hard work.

You can follow their journey here.

 

Buddha Belly

Birmingham street food legends, they’ve been stalwarts of the Birmingham food scene over the last decade, serving up delicious Thai street food and are soon to become restaurateurs!

What do you love the most about working in the hospitality industry?
Firstly it’s just so instantly rewarding. Everybody loves feeding people right? We get to feed so many and seeing a happy face at the end of all the hard work really does make it all so worthwhile. Also, as it’s such hard work and long hours there really is a team spirit amongst all the traders and we become like a family. Don’t get me wrong, it is naturally competitive but at the end of the day, we know we need to support and help each other. It’s the only way to survive!

Based on your own experience, what steps do you think are integral to the long-term success of a business?

I think for a long-term successful street food business these are key:
• Have an identity and specialise…don’t try to do it all. Do one or two things really well and build from there. When you focus on your product and keep making that as good as it can be without worrying what anyone else is doing that’s when people start to take notice. Anyone can turn up and sell 10000 chips at a festival but you have to want to be better than that
• Build a good team. It’s not a one man show. You have to have people in your team that love the business and have a vested interest in it and that can also feel proud of what the business achieves.
• Get professional help for marketing, photography and socials when you can.
• Take risks! You miss every shot you don’t take! What about working in the sector appealed to you and has that continued to motivate you to stay within the industry? For us it was simply a love of food combined with a want to work for ourselves. Even though we’ve never worked harder it’s our choice and for us. I don’t think we would ever want to change that.

If you could go back in time, what is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self before starting your business?

Do it sooner! Get the van, get the shop, take on the bigger events. Don’t be scared to reinvest in your business.

What words would you use to summarise the ‘secret’ to your success?

1. Love 2. Resilient 3. Flavour 4. Team 5. Consistent

You can follow their journey here.

 

Premier Food Courts

With over twenty years of experience within the industry, Premier Food Courts have seen and done it all. From catering at stadiums to racecourses, you name it – they’ve catered it.

What do you love the most about working in the hospitality industry?

The challenges it throws at you everyday and, overcoming them, also when a customer come back to the unit and says thank you that was a lovely product. Producing Food Courts that you look at and say, yes that
looks good / professional.

Based on your own experience, what steps do you think are integral to the long-term success of a business?

Being honest in your own self appraisal as whether you would pay that price for that product, would you want to be served your food by those staff, would you wish to let your kids eat from that unit. And answering yes to all those questions!

What words would you use to summarise the ‘secret’ to your success?

Attention to detail, hard work!!!

You can follow their journey here.

 

Real Meat Sausage Company

A real veteran of the game and an NCASS member from the beginning, Real Meat Sausage Company are a festival favourite specialising in hearty, wholesome grub!

What do you love the most about working in the hospitality industry?

I just like being busy really. Working at festivals too I really enjoy, and I’m often busy when working a festival! I always enjoyed attending festivals anyway so getting to work them is great. When things are going right
catering can be a really great experience and I find the buzz of it enjoyable!

Based on your own experience, what steps do you think are integral to the long-term success of a business?

Choosing your events carefully. I cant express that in any greater way – it is so important to chose carefully. You can – and I have – lose a lot of money at the wrong events. I even lost £3,000 at an event this year. Also
if you’re doing an event that works, keep it! This may seem quite obvious but is so true. When I first started I tried to just fi ll the calendar. Now I do the events that work for me and keep it at that. Most of my work during summer months April – august. Didn’t used to have to work the rest of the year. Limited my events to the ones I know work and that’s seen me in good stead. Things do change however – one of my best events has got worse and worse to the point I don’t do it anymore. You have to be prepared to adapt and change.

What about working in the sector appealed to you and has that continued to motivate you to stay within the industry?

There’s a certain buzz I get with being busy. If you’re busy, making money and everything is just working – for me, there’s nothing that compares to it. I love it!

If you could go back in time, what is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self before starting your business?

Don’t try and do it all. Like I said, you definitely want to choose your events carefully and you want to give the best impression of yourself every time. It’s better to have a few events that you know you can do well than
try and do a lot not so well.

You can follow their journey here.

 

Coconut Chilli

Boasting many years of experience supplying gourmet Indian food to private events, corporate functions and weddings, they are experts in their field and certainly know their food.

What do you love the most about working in the hospitality industry?

I started out in 2011 by setting up the StrEAT Food Collective in Bristol. I needed a flexible job as I was lone-parenting at the time. Coconut Chilli was one of the vendors & it was early days for the street food industry in the UK. The work was hard, the hours were sometimes challenging but there was a genuine buzz & camaraderie amongst my fellow

vendors and the scene in general.

Based on your own experience, what steps do you think are integral to the long-term success of a business?

I’ve never compromised on quality and that’s been hugely important. I’ve had so many loyal customers over the years – they might have come to Abergavenny Food Festival or eaten on my St. Nick’s market stall
in Bristol. I’m always super humble (and still a bit surprised) when my curries get compliments, even after so many years. I never take anything for granted.

What about working in the sector appealed to you and has that continued to motivate you to stay within the industry?

Customers who tell me they love my food has always been the most motivating factor. That, and the events Coconut Chilli has catered becoming bigger and set in more glamorous locations. I now have lots of celebrity
clients too – but I have a strict policy of not naming anyone or asking for selfies for socials – I’ll simply address the customer by their first name during service,
then our team fondly remembers which dishes they’d particularly loved.

If you could go back in time, what is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self before starting your business?

Don’t borrow any money without giving it some serious thought. Personal credit was readily available to me in the early days of Coconut Chilli (but funnily enough, not the same for business funding). I was lucky as I
managed to buy equipment but I also wasted a lot on ‘professional services’ mainly men telling me what I should be doing and why. Now I’d say, try and build a personal network instead – NCASS is brilliant for that.

What words would you use to summarise the ‘secret’ to your success?

1. Passion
2. Integrity
3. Collaboration
4. Bravery
5. Being an original 90s raver (if you know, you know)

You can follow their journey here.

 

To read other member interviews and caterer features click here. For more To keep up to date with relevant industry news and updates click here.