Mobile coffee cart or van

Market visitors, event-goers, office and industrial estate workers, and organisers who hire you for weddings, fairs and sports days.

Customers pay per drink and snack. Some income can come from fixed-fee private bookings, and a regular pitch can give steady weekly trade.

• Making good coffee quickly under pressure
• Customer service
• Planning stock and routes
• Basic vehicle or equipment upkeep

• Street trading often needs a council licence or consent, and rules vary between areas, so check with each council
• Register as a food business with your local council and meet food hygiene and allergen rules
• Public liability insurance and vehicle or trailer insurance suited to trading
• Gas and electrical safety checks for equipment, especially in a van
• Pitch fees, weather and quiet days can swing income a lot
• Event bookings may ask for proof of insurance and hygiene rating

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around £5,000 to £30,000, depending on whether you choose a compact cart, trailer or converted van, and on the coffee equipment and insurance you need.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue typically around £1,500 to £7,500, depending on your pitches, events and opening days. Pitch fees, weather and quiet days can swing income a lot, so plan for variation.

Check with each council, as street trading often needs a licence or consent and rules vary between areas. Also check food business registration, hygiene and allergen rules, insurance, gas and electrical safety, and any proof event organisers ask for.