By providing a show-stopping monthly mobile restaurant in the town centre market we will give existing local food businesses the opportunity to showcase their dining experience; and catering students from East Kent College and unemployed people, supported by social enterprise The Community Cafe, the chance to set up something new.

We will provide the infrastructure: an eye-catching catering stand and trading pitch, free marketing for the caterer of the month via a new website and pro bono input from experts, plus associated street entertainment from a whole range of local talent.

It’s been hard to persuade Ramsgate’s population that things are on the up, but these monthly events will bring everyone together to enjoy good food and entertainment, building up momentum for other projects we have in the pipeline. Who can say no to a party!

We’ll also offer slots to restaurants along the coast to cross-promote the other Thanet towns and build a relationship which will benefit us all.

What we'll deliver:

• A free trading pitch in the Town Centre courtesy of Hughmark Continental market managers
• Project partner The Community Cafe will support local unemployed to gain valuable experience
• Provide street entertainment to match the food offer from talented local groups
• Provide use of an eye-catching, catering stand in the centre of town (see our concept design!) with outside seating
• Any unspent funds will go straight back into the venture by adding extra sessions or providing additional entertainment
• Give apprentices from East Kent College the opportunity to experience outside catering
• Performances/ entertainments are, of course, subject to obtaining necessary permissions so cannot be guaranteed
• Provide free marketing for the caterer of the month via our website (under construction) and team of expert volunteers

Why it's a great idea:

This project is a simple idea yet will lever in a wide range of the talent that Ramsgate has to offer, thus adding huge additional value to the original small investment.

We have a whole range of experienced and talented partners prepared to offer their skills and experience for free.

We’ll bring additional footfall to existing high street businesses and nurture and encourage new ones.

We’ll give opportunities to some of the area’s untapped talent in terms of young people studying catering and unemployed people finding it hard to get a foothold into employment.

By inviting businesses from Margate and Broadstairs to take part as well we’ll lay to rest some of the damaging inter-town competition and start building a relationship from which we can all benefit.

The initial 8 month project will become sustainable over the longer term as caterers see the benefit of paying for the pitch and contributing to the associated marketing and publicity campaigns out of the day’s takings.

Steps to get it done:

• A local designer will provide the eye catching logos etc for our mobile restaurant so no one can miss it!
• Caboose could serve up Scandanavian Midsummer, Mexican or even Basque food from its repertioire
• Catering students from East Kent College will book slots to try out their skills
• Local arts and music groups will provide a side order of entertainment to go with the food
• Local eatery Caboose, for example, has a wealth of pop up experience they will share with us.
• Local marketing experts will devise a robust marketing strategy for all aspects of the project
• The Community Cafe will be able to promote its own events catering social enterprise and expand its valuable work
• The Community Cafe will serve fresh, home made healthy food inspired by Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant model
• Unemployed people supported by the Community Cafe will take part to gain essential confidence and experience.
• We will all have a lot of fun!
• We will use the money we raise to buy the physical infrastructure i.e. the catering stand, banners etc.
• All of the above represents an additional opportunity to show visitors what the Thanet coastal towns have to offer.
• Existing businesses will book a slot in our timetable of events
• We will make sure the whole community feels welcome!