When Storm Goretti swept across Cornwall in January 2026, it left thousands of residents without power and in urgent need of support. Among those who answered the call were Kernow Street Kitchen, a hands-on, family-style mobile catering business and member of the NCASS Emergency Catering Service (ECS).
Founded by two friends with a passion for food and bringing people together, Kernow Street Kitchen began as a small street food operation and has grown into a busy mobile caterer, serving events, festivals, campsites and private functions across Cornwall. Used to working at pace, adapting to unfamiliar locations and operating self-sufficiently, they found their street food skills transferred well to an emergency setting.
Called out by text and on the road within hours, the team headed to Newquay and Penzance, where they served hot pizzas and drinks to approximately 600 residents affected by the power cuts. In this special Member Spotlight, they tell us about the experience: how the callout came in, how they prepared, what it was like arriving on site, and why they would encourage other NCASS members to consider joining the ECS.
Could you tell us a little about Kernow Street Kitchen and what inspired you to start the business?
Kernow Street Kitchen was started by myself (Simon) and Tommy with a real passion for food and for bringing people together. What started as a small street food business has grown into a busy mobile catering operation, working at events, festivals, campsites, private functions and a whole range of different occasions across Cornwall.
We’re very much a hands-on business. Tommy and I are involved in everything from planning menus and buying ingredients through to cooking, serving customers and packing everything away at the end of the day.
I think one of the things that has helped us grow is that we’re used to being adaptable. Street food can take you into all sorts of different environments, and you have to be able to make things work with the equipment and facilities you have available.
What made you decide to join the NCASS (ECS) Emergency Catering Service?
We joined because we felt we had the skills, equipment and experience to help when people really needed it.
As caterers, we’re used to producing food for large numbers of people, working quickly and adapting to different circumstances. The idea that we could use those skills to help people who had been affected by an emergency seemed like something really worthwhile.
It’s not something you necessarily expect to be called upon to do, but knowing that we could potentially make a difference when people were having a difficult time was a big reason for us getting involved.
Can you tell us about the last ECS callout you took part in?
Our most recent callout was during Storm Goretti in January 2026, when Cornwall was badly affected by the storm and widespread power cuts.
We were called to provide food for residents in Newquay and Penzance who had been affected by the loss of power. In total, we were asked to cater for approximately 600 people.
It was quite something to see the situation first-hand. The weather had been so severe and there was a real sense of disruption, so it was clear that people were genuinely in need of support.
How did you receive the callout, and what information were you given in that initial message?
We received a text message about the callout, which we then followed up with a phone call. Once we understood what was needed and accepted the job, things moved very quickly. We were on the road within a few hours. There wasn’t a huge amount of time to sit and plan everything in detail, so we had to rely on our experience and just get organised and get moving.
Once you accepted the job, what was the preparation process like?
It was definitely a case of getting everything together as quickly and efficiently as possible.
We had to think about the food, drinks, equipment, transport and, importantly, how we were going to operate somewhere that we weren’t familiar with. Because we’re a mobile catering business, we’re already used to packing up our equipment and taking everything we need with us, so that experience was really useful.
We also had to make the most of what we had available to us, including our generator, because we couldn’t rely on normal facilities in the circumstances.
What was it like arriving on site and setting up your catering operation in an emergency situation? Was there anything that surprised you about the experience?
Arriving on site really brought home to us that this was very different from a normal catering event. We were working somewhere unfamiliar, with the weather still extremely bad, and we had to make the most of the equipment and facilities we had available.
The thing that probably stayed with us most was seeing the effect the storm had actually had on people. You hear about severe weather and power cuts on the news, but seeing the situation for yourself is very different. At that point, it wasn’t really about putting on a normal street food service, it was about getting hot food and drinks to people who needed them.
Did you have to adapt your usual menu or way of working to meet the needs of the situation?
We provided pizzas and drinks for approximately 600 people across the callout. We obviously had to keep things much simpler than one of our normal catering events. The priority was getting good, hot food out to people quickly and efficiently rather than offering a large menu. That’s where our experience as a street food business really helped as we’re used to working at pace and adapting our operation depending on the circumstances.
Kernow Street Kitchen is all about bringing people together over great food. Did you feel that your food helped create a sense of comfort or normality for people affected by the emergency?
Absolutely, food can make a surprisingly big difference when people are going through a difficult situation. Being able to give someone a hot pizza and a drink might seem like a small thing, but when you’ve been without power and dealing with the aftermath of a major storm, having something warm and familiar can bring a little bit of normality back.
What really stuck with us was the gratitude from the people we served. You could see that they genuinely appreciated what we were doing, and that made the whole experience very worthwhile.
Were there any challenges on the callout, and did your experience as a professional street food business help you adapt and overcome them?
There were definitely challenges. The biggest thing was operating somewhere unfamiliar while the weather was still so bad. We had to work with what we had available and make sure we could operate safely and efficiently.
Our experience of mobile catering helped enormously because we’re used to working in different locations and having to be self-sufficient. Having our own equipment and generator also meant we could operate without relying completely on the normal infrastructure. You just have to stay calm, work out what you can do with what you’ve got and get on with it.
Having now experienced an ECS callout first-hand, what would you say to another NCASS member who is considering joining the Emergency Catering Service?
I’d definitely recommend it. If you’re a catering business with the skills and equipment to feed people in difficult circumstances, it’s a really worthwhile thing to be involved in.
For us, it was a great pleasure to be able to help people who genuinely needed feeding. We were really glad that, in our own small way, we were able to help during what was clearly a very difficult time for them.
You never know when you might receive that call, but knowing you have the ability to make a difference when people need it is a great feeling.
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