05: Simon Mitchell, CEO of KERB - The street food blueprint, supporting independent businesses and international expansion

Welcome to Beyond the Counter - the UK's first podcast and content series dedicated to the Food Halls & Markets. Sign up for free to our monthly articles and annual Food Hall data report: https://forms.contacta.io/68e54cbaf8643266cccaf0aa.htmlIn this episode, we sit down with Simon Mitchell, the CEO of KERB - a brand that has played a large part in influencing the street food market and food hall  industry as we know it today.Simon takes us through the evolution of KERB, from its origins as a collective of indie traders to its massive current scale, including iconic sites like Seven Dials Market and international ventures in Berlin. He shares the "golden rule" of supporting independent talent and explains why maintaining the "heartbeat" of the street is essential, even when partnering with the world’s biggest catering giants.In this episode, we cover:The Power of the Collective: Why KERB treats its vendors as members and partners, not just tenants, to build a sustainable ecosystem.The Leap to Bricks & Mortar: Behind the scenes of Seven Dials Market and the story behind signing a central London lease just months before a global pandemic.Scaling without Selling Out: How Simon maintains KERB’s authenticity and independent ethos The Multi-Kitchen Model: Testing new formats like KERB Social Club and Corner Corner, experimenting with shared kitchen stations and diverse service models.Beyond the Hall: The huge growth of the KERB events business and why street food is now the "preferred supplier" for everyone from corporate HQs to Premier League stadiums---