Fred Sirieix welcomes FINCA, a Cuban street-food brand, and Wholesome Junkies, a local vegan junk-food idea, to Manchester. FINCA is looking to secure £150,000 to open in their home town Liverpool before rolling out nationally. Wholesome Junkies is after £95,000 to open in Manchester.\n\nFINCA was set up in the summer of 2016 and now trades in Liverpool's Baltic Market. Founders Oli, Joe and Michael believe that Cuban street food could follow the success of brands like Wahaca. Their signature dish, a grilled Cuban sandwich called a Cubano, filled with meat, mustard, cheese and pickle, sells for £7. They also make their own marinades, pickles, sauces and syrups, so there is scope for additional revenue streams, in addition to the food and drinks. FINCA proves to be popular, with interest from four investors, including Lydia Forte, of the five-star Rocco Forte Hotels group, who is looking for new ideas to fit into her luxury hotels. She normally works with Michelin-starred chefs, and has openings in London, Edinburgh and Berlin. Also interested are Darrel Connell, partner with IMBIBA Partnership, an investment group that specialises in backing and growing high-end bar and restaurant ideas, Jeremy Roberts, CEO of Living Ventures, a northern-based restaurant-and-bar group with an annual turnover in excess of £100million, and Tim Gee, property director with Allied London, an award-winning property development and investment company. Tim is tasked with finding new restaurant ideas for their estates in Manchester.\n\nChelsea Campbell, from Manchester, worked as a waitress and front of house for eight years before setting up Wholesome Junkies nine months ago. After turning vegetarian three years ago, she read veggie cookbooks and watched documentaries about the ethics of the food industry, turning her vegan. Once she started making her own nut milks, vegan butters and cheese she knew she was on to a 'bloody tasty' thing. Her best-selling fried cauliflower burger sells for £6. Wholesome Junkies attracted the interest of one investor, hoping to make his mark in the one of the UK's fastest-growing food sectors, with one-in-three adults now eating less meat - Chris Miller, the founder of restaurant investment vehicle White Rabbit Fund. Since 2016 he has invested in Indian tapas chain Kricket, Hawaiian grab-and-go restaurant Island Poke, Italian heritage brand Lina Stores, and he is about to launch a modern Chinese in the City.\n\nBoth FINCA and Wholesome Junkies already operate successful, street-food businesses. Can Joe, Oli and Michael, and Chelsea, convince the investors they gave got what it takes to become the next high-street hits? They have got three days to prove themselves.
Source: BBC 2
Series 2: 6. Modern British
Fred Sirieix oversees a battle for investment between three restaurant ideas, who think their take on modern British dining will secure them the chance for big-money backing to ...
16-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 6. Grab-and-go
Fred Sirieix oversees a battle for investment between three restaurateurs who think their take on flavoursome ‘grab-and-go’ food will secure them the chance for big- ...
09-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 4. Skaus, Sustainable Food Story, Devi’s - Sustainable
Fred Sirieix oversees a battle for investment between three restaurant ideas, with each pitcher thinking their take on sustainable dining will secure them the chance for big-mon ...
02-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 3. Matr, Pilgrim, Blue Caribou Canteen - New International
Amongst those pitching are married couple, Jonas Lorentzen, 34, and Naina Gupta, 32, who want to bring Michelin style Nordic cuisine to the UK. With MATR they host pop-ups throu ...
25-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 2. Baba G's, Krapow, Xxvi - New Asian
Amongst those pitching in this episode is couple Alec Owen, 37, and Liz Selway, 43, who run Indian burger concept Baba G's. Their signature dish is a curry burger which, along w ...
18-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 1. The Duck Truck, Bbq Dreamz & Jah Jyot - Fast Casual
Fred Sirieix oversees a battle for investment between three restaurant ideas, who think their take on fast and fresh flavours, delivered in a Nando's or Wagamama-style restauran ...
11-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 1: 6. Black Bear Burger And Naked Dough
Fred Sirieix welcomes Naked Dough, a raw cookie-dough parlour, and Black Bear Burger, a premium burger idea, to Manchester. Both Naked Dough and Black Bear Burger are looking fo ...
12-05-2023
BBC 2
Series 1: 5. Dynasty And Bubble&
Fred Sirieix welcomes Bubble&, a bubble & squeak stall, and Dynasty, a high-end Korean idea, to Manchester. Dynasty is looking for £600,000 to open in central London. Bubb ...
11-05-2023
BBC 2
Series 1: 4. Greedy Khao And Trap Kitchen
Fred Sirieix welcomes Trap Kitchen, a soul-food inspired takeaway selling lobster tails, from south London, and Greedy Khao, a vegan Thai grab-and-go idea, to Manchester. Trap K ...
10-05-2023
BBC 2
Series 1: 3. Hollings And The Cheese Wheel
Fred Sirieix welcomes Hollings, an idea serving British chophouse classics, and The Cheese Wheel, an Italian-inspired fresh pasta stall, with a cheese wheel at its heart, to Man ...
04-05-2023
BBC 2
Series 1: 2. Finca And Wholesome Junkies
Fred Sirieix welcomes FINCA, a Cuban street-food brand, and Wholesome Junkies, a local vegan junk-food idea, to Manchester. FINCA is looking to secure £150,000 to open in ...
03-05-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 4. Skaus, Sustainable Food Story, Devi’s - Sustainable
Fred Sirieix oversees a battle for investment between three restaurant ideas, with each pitcher thinking their take on sustainable dining will secure them the chance for big-mon ...
02-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 1: 4. Greedy Khao And Trap Kitchen
Fred Sirieix welcomes Trap Kitchen, a soul-food inspired takeaway selling lobster tails, from south London, and Greedy Khao, a vegan Thai grab-and-go idea, to Manchester. Trap K ...
10-05-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 3. Matr, Pilgrim, Blue Caribou Canteen - New International
Amongst those pitching are married couple, Jonas Lorentzen, 34, and Naina Gupta, 32, who want to bring Michelin style Nordic cuisine to the UK. With MATR they host pop-ups throu ...
25-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 2. Baba G's, Krapow, Xxvi - New Asian
Amongst those pitching in this episode is couple Alec Owen, 37, and Liz Selway, 43, who run Indian burger concept Baba G's. Their signature dish is a curry burger which, along w ...
18-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 1: 6. Black Bear Burger And Naked Dough
Fred Sirieix welcomes Naked Dough, a raw cookie-dough parlour, and Black Bear Burger, a premium burger idea, to Manchester. Both Naked Dough and Black Bear Burger are looking fo ...
12-05-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 1. The Duck Truck, Bbq Dreamz & Jah Jyot - Fast Casual
Fred Sirieix oversees a battle for investment between three restaurant ideas, who think their take on fast and fresh flavours, delivered in a Nando's or Wagamama-style restauran ...
11-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 1: 3. Hollings And The Cheese Wheel
Fred Sirieix welcomes Hollings, an idea serving British chophouse classics, and The Cheese Wheel, an Italian-inspired fresh pasta stall, with a cheese wheel at its heart, to Man ...
04-05-2023
BBC 2
Series 1: 1. Epoch And Shrimpwreck
Fred Sirieix welcomes an all-British fine-dining concept, Epoch, and a Scottish street-food trader, ShrimpWreck, selling tempura prawn buns to Manchester. Epoch is seeking &poun ...
02-05-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 6. Modern British
Fred Sirieix oversees a battle for investment between three restaurant ideas, who think their take on modern British dining will secure them the chance for big-money backing to ...
16-12-2023
BBC 2