00:00The promise here isn't hype, it's a pathway. Six months of support from registering a business
00:06to live events where traders learn under pressure. It targets seven boroughs and a success should
00:11show on the street, not in reports. The risks clear if selection lacks transparency, trust
00:17goes with it. People want to know who gets a slot and why, and if standards slip, markets
00:22pay the price. The goal is to raise quality, not flood the field, starting with fair rules
00:27and visible results. The exciting aspect of the creation of this incubator is that with
00:35it being a Westminster Combined Authority-led incubator is that we're going to be looking
00:41for traders from all areas of the Combined Authority, so whether that's Birmingham, Samwell, Coventry,
00:47the lot really. So I think that's one of the main aspects is we're going to try and be representative
00:50of the West Midlands. And I think, you know, just a bit like Dickworth Dining Club, we're
00:54very passionate about trying to bring all areas of the Midlands together. And, you know,
01:01the fact that the West Midlands is such a diverse population, I really think we're going to get
01:04some really interesting food traders coming through.
01:07Trining only matters if it changes behaviour at the grill and the sink. Hygiene, allergens,
01:12gas safety, waste, cash flow, staffing. These details decide if it still lasts. Traders need
01:18a checklist they can live by, not paperwork that gathers dust. If it works, customers notice faster
01:24service and cleaner setups. That's the standard expected when public money is involved. The
01:29curriculum has to be clear, measurable and based on what inspectors and venues actually
01:34check.
01:35So as part of the incubator programme, all the traders actually get access to an NCAS membership.
01:39So within that membership, they actually can access a range of online training courses.
01:44So things like food safety, health and safety and actually specific training courses like safe
01:49use of LPG gas. They also get access to tools within their dashboard so that they can create
01:54and understand risk assessments across food, fire and health and safety. And they actually
01:59get access to a food safety app as well. So when it comes to actually trading, they can
02:02actually do all the checks on the phone, things like food safety checks and temperature checks.
02:07Above and beyond that, within NCAS they get access to a dedicated support and management team
02:12and also an environmental health officer as well. So really, you know, the support doesn't
02:16just stop there.
02:17There's an economy angle that can't be ignored. Markets grow when operators survive the first
02:22year. Pitch fees, stock, insurance and travel stack up. If skills rise but costs crush them,
02:27it fails. Incumbents will ask if subsidised newcomers undercut the scene. Fair question.
02:33Any scheme claiming growth must protect standards and support those already trading through hard
02:38years.
02:39There is obviously going to be opportunities to work with us for those successful, but also
02:44to go off into our work in other areas as well, whether it be festivals, other events.
02:48It's giving people the skills and the business skills to be able to operate safely, but also
02:53in a way that we know that works. That has worked for us for the life of hundreds of traders
02:57that have come through our books over the last few years.
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