A former city worker who swapped skyscrapers for a stall on Brick Lane has been named one of ten UK recipients of the first Uber Eats Black Business Fund.
The Black Business Fund, set up by Uber Eats in collaboration with Be Inclusive Hospitality and Enterprise Nation, sees £50,000 distributed to ten small Black-owned businesses across the country impacted by the pandemic. Over 150 restaurants applied, with those selected representing a cross-section of the most innovative and exciting Black-owned restaurants in the country.
One winner, Jenny Campbell, gave up a corporate career to launch her own brand of vegan Caribbean food. Early success on an East End stall convinced her to officially open the Guava Kitchen in Forest Hill just before the pandemic struck.
Jenny Campbell said: “At first, I knew nothing about hospitality, so when I said I wanted to open a restaurant everyone I knew said don’t do it! The pandemic had a severe impact on the business but now we can push forward with our vision of showcasing the best Black vegan food products from around the world.
“Being a Black female business owner, it’s important to me to support a realistic demographic of my local area and set a strong example to young Black people. Around 80% of my young team is made of people from Black or ethnic minority backgrounds. This investment will help us to invest in young local talent.”
Matthew Price, Uber Eats General Manager, said: “Small businesses and restaurants are the beating heart of local communities, and we’re honoured to give so many a platform on Uber Eats. Given the significant economic impact of the pandemic, we are incredibly proud to support small Black-owned businesses across the country. Each recipient has their own story of extraordinary resilience and entrepreneurial drive and we hope the fund will allow them to thrive as their journey continues.”
A vegan restaurant in Coventry, Dirty Kitch, was also named among the winners. Owner Danielle Saunders, was nine months pregnant when she opened her restaurant in late 2019 – balancing her newborn, new business, and navigating a global pandemic all at the same time.
Danielle Saunders said: “Starting a business before the pandemic has been incredibly challenging but we're so proud of what we've managed to achieve. We did everything with a limited budget and depended heavily on the support of the community around us. This support will not only help us grow, but to flourish.
“We have always tried to make our menu as affordable as possible to ensure plant-based food is accessible. Thanks to the grant, we’re free to work more in the community. It’s my dream to deliver cooking demonstrations in local primary schools, showing young people that it’s easy to produce delicious, healthy and sustainable meals.”
Most of the winning restaurants are based in London, with recipients from Manchester and Coventry completing the list. Four of the ten restaurants serve entirely plant-based menus.
The full list of recipients of the Black Business Fund grants are:
The Breakhouse Cafe - London
Jam Delish - (Vegan) - London
The Flygerians Ltd - London
Dirty Kitch (Vegan) - Coventry
TribeV ltd - London
Drums and Flats - London
Vegan Shack UK (Vegan) - Manchester
The Guava Kitchen (Vegan) - London
Issa Vibe - London
Bando Belly - London
In the UK, just 5 per cent of small or medium sized businesses are run by people from Black or other ethnic minority backgrounds.
Uber previously announced investment to support Black-owned small businesses in the US, however this is the first time the company has launched a fund in the UK.
The Black Business Fund recipients were selected by judges from Enterprise Nation, Be Inclusive hospitality, and Black Eats London.
