Opportunities to trade for mobile caterers – write to your council

This is a template letter that you can use to contact your local authority (council) to ask them to support you in opportunities to trade. This letter was updated on 24/03/21 to include information on the new ‘Welcome Back’ fund. 

Simply copy and paste the text out and edit as necessary then email your council, council leader and MP.

Please copy [email protected] when you contact your local authority or MP.

You can find out who to contact on your local authority website in the coronavirus, support for businesses or grants for businesses section of their website

You can also email the leader of your council and cc in your MP

You can find out who the leader of your council by searching ‘leader of the council’ on your local authority website, this should give you their contact details.

You can find out who your MP is by clicking here

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is________, I am writing on behalf of my business,_______ which is based in [insert local authority].

I am contacting you as I have been advised to do so by my trade association, The Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS).

My catering business operates at [delete as necessary – festivals / street food events / functions such as weddings] and as such I have not been able to trade profitably / I have not been able to trade [DELETE AS NECESSARY] since [DATE].

To date my business has not been able to access support grants or other government support for hospitality businesses during Covid-19 in the same way as bricks & mortar businesses have been able to..

I have been informed that my local authority has been encouraged to show support and understanding to my sector by the government to trade profitably again and to offer opportunities to trade in the same way as bricks and mortar businesses have.

I also understand that the new Government ‘Welcome Back’ fund provides local authorities with money to enliven highstreets, town & city centres, part of this includes opportunities for businesses like mine to run a market, pop up or an event.

With this in mind, I would like to enquire about trading opportunities within the local area, to support the restart and welcome back initiative. Until my sector has returned to profitability I am interested in:

• Trading from a pitch [in the town / city centre, on private land]
• Trading as a food truck, visiting several destinations each week
• Setting up and operating a small market
• Setting up and operating an event
• Opening an al fresco dining experience in a local park
• Setting up a pop up on the high street / council land
• Being included as a trader in any events the council is planning / sub-contracting as part of the reopening and welcome back fund.

Can you please inform me how I would go about creating one of these opportunities at your earliest convenience?

Thank you,