Compass partners with Kerb

Compass Group UK and Ireland has signed up to an exclusive partnership with Kerb. Not only does the street food pioneer operate six markets across the capital, including its first permanent indoor market, in Covent Garden, housing 25 independent food businesses, but it is dedicated to accelerating the most promising street food disrupters. Kerb currently has over 70 traders, who sell more than 1.5m dishes a year.

Kerb will partner with Levy UK, the sports, leisure and hospitality arm of Compass, to bring new menus and food experiences for fans and visitors when stadiums and venues reopen in 2021. Additionally, other Compass businesses like Chartwells and RA Group are also set to benefit from the bright young innovators born out of Kerb’s ecosystem.

Robin Mills, managing director of Compass Group UK and Ireland, said: “While the coronavirus pandemic has paused sporting events and restricted activity at leisure venues, it has also given us the time to work with clients to innovate in anticipation of stadiums and venues fully reopening. We are always looking at how we can provide our customers with a fantastic experience, with great food at the heart of our offer, and our partnership with Kerb will see us bring more variety for our customers.”

Kerb CEO, Simon Mitchell, added: “The rise of street food over the last 10 to 15 years has been one of the great food success stories of the 21st century and Kerb has been at the forefront of this movement. Partnering with Compass allows us the opportunity to provide a space to street food traders nationwide and bring their deliciously tasty wares to consumers at some of the biggest and most prestigious event spaces and stadiums around the UK.

“Both companies have the common goal of wanting to move forward into different arenas and we can learn a lot from each other’s experiences. We’re all very excited about the prospect of scaling up our business with the largest foodservice company in the UK and going from strength to strength.”