9 September 2024 - Sponsored by mccain
Meet Eman and Bisan Bites: Bringing Palestinian Flavours to London's Streets
- Eman joined the McCain Streets Ahead programme, powered by KERB in 2022.
- Bisan Bites proudly serves up traditional Palestinian cuisine across numerous KERB markets in London
- Via Streets Ahead, Eman carried out 12 months of training and mentoring to understand Street Food fundamentals, exploring how she could succeed with her middle Eastern-inspired concept.
- Eman secured the highest investment of £10,000 from McCain Foodservice Solutions in June 2023, after pitching her business concept and cooking her beloved hero dish ‘Maqluba’.
- A year on, Bisan Bites has built a dedicated customer base in central London, become an official KERB member, and now trades across multiple London markets.
In 2022, Eman embarked on a journey to bring the authentic taste of Palestinian cuisine to the street food scene of London. Seeking guidance from the Streets Ahead programme, she transformed her passion into a reality, creating Bisan Bites a business that celebrates her heritage.
Eman joined the McCain Streets Ahead programme powered by KERB+ after being referred by TERN with the dream of operating on the streets of London to be able to share her identity and traditions with a new audience.
Eman’s culinary journey is rooted in the traditional recipes she learned growing up, aiming to deliver “Mum’s taste in every bite.” With the help of 1-2-1 coaching, in-person workshops, and food development sessions, Bisan Bites was born, impressing McCain at the final pitch day in June 2023, and securing a £10,000 kick-start investment to bring Bisan Bites to life.
In a recent interview with McCain and KERB reflecting on her journey, Eman mentioned, “At the beginning, I was afraid people would not accept me. But it’s been the opposite, people are very welcoming”. Despite her initial fears, especially during the Gaza conflict, Eman found Londoners eager to try her Palestinian dishes, filling her with pride.
Her hero dish, maqluba—a traditional Palestinian dish made of fried aubergine, marinated chicken, and spiced rice served with yogurt sauce—became a standout due to her culinary skills and creativity. The food development session provided as part of the programme supported her in translating her ideas for a street food market, while financial backing from McCain enabled her to fully equip her business and turn her culinary dreams into reality.
Today, Bisan Bites is thriving, with Eman serving delicious meals at KERB markets across London, catering events, and festivals. In the short time she’s been up and trading she’s already generated over £16,000 in revenue. Her ultimate dream of opening a small restaurant feels closer than ever, fuelled by the confidence and pride she gains every day. Eman’s journey is a testament to resilience and the power of sharing one’s cultural heritage through food.
Bisan Bites often trades next to Samarkand Palav and UTOPIA, two businesses that also went on to trade in London following their success through Streets Ahead, creating lasting and supportive connections.
Streets Ahead has successfully changed lives through street food. Watch Eman’s full interview here.
You can follow Eman’s journey on her socials @bisan.bites or McCain’s @mccainfoodserviceuk where you can find out more about all 26 businesses that have now received start-up investment through the Streets Ahead programme.
The McCain Streets Ahead programme, powered by KERB aims to support the foodservice industry by creating an immersive programme that looks to upskill and create opportunities for less-advantaged individuals keen to break into the sector. Together, over the past 2 years they have nurtured the skills and street food business ideas of over 200 participants and McCain has invested over £200,000 into independent start-ups, so far.
