Petra Barran facts for kids

Petra Barran is a British business owner. She started KERB, a group that brings together street food vendors in London. Petra began her journey in 2005, selling chocolate from an old ice cream van. By 2019, KERB had five locations across London. They served over 10,000 tasty dishes every week!

Petra Barran's Early Life

Petra Barran grew up in Suffolk, England. Her dad was a fishmonger and a teacher. He also grew and sold fresh herbs. Her mom taught children who had dyslexia. They lived in a converted stable building.

Petra became very interested in food when she was young. She first saw street food when she was ten years old. This was during a trip to Mexico.

Her very first job was in a local tearoom. Later, she studied American Studies at the University of Manchester. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1999.

Petra Barran's Early Career

After college, Petra became interested in chocolate. She even trained with a famous chocolatier named Pierre Marcolini. From 2005, Petra sold chocolates from her old ice cream van. She named the van Jimmy. She drove Jimmy to markets and events all over the United Kingdom. She would trade chocolate pudding for a place to sleep at night.

Her chocolate business was called Choc Star. It became very popular. She sold hot chocolate, brownie fudge sundaes, and Rocky Road. One time, a festival she was supposed to attend was cancelled. Petra had already paid her fees and couldn't get her money back. This made her determined to help other food sellers. She wanted to create a group where this wouldn't happen. This was the start of her idea for a street food collective.

In 2009, Petra teamed up with two other street food companies. They formed a group called Eat Street. This group grew to include 32 food sellers. They set up shop in different places around London. In 2010, Petra decided to study more about cities. She wanted to make cities more exciting with food. She earned her master's degree from University College London in 2013. She stopped using her van Jimmy in 2011. That same year, she was named one of The Independent's "Ten People Who Changed The World."

Petra has also lived in Africa and Italy.

About KERB

Petra Barran officially launched KERB in 2012. She wanted to make street food easy for everyone to enjoy. KERB is a community for street food vendors. They work with markets and event planners in London. Petra helps the vendors with professional advice and planning. She also encourages them to help each other.

She created a program called inKERBator. This program finds and supports new street food businesses. It's a three-month program. KERB chooses about 5% of the people who apply. Petra even made a magazine called the KERB manual. It gives tips on how to organize a business. It also helps with branding and starting a food truck.

KERB has hosted fun themed festivals. These have included events for fried chicken, vegan food, and even nostalgic foods. Some popular KERB businesses have grown into full restaurants. Examples include Pizza Pilgrims, Bleecker Burger, and Bao. By July 2019, KERB's markets sold over 10,000 dishes weekly. They had five markets across London.

Petra asked Boris Johnson, who was then the Mayor of London, for help. She wanted to make it easier for people to sell street food. Petra also gave a TEDxLondon talk. She spoke about how street food helps society. KERB also works with charities like Street Child. They help mothers in West Africa start businesses. This helps them pay for school uniforms and supplies. In 2019, KERB opened a permanent market. It is located at Seven Dials in London. This market has 25 vendors. It even features a cheese conveyor belt!

Awards and Honours

Petra Barran has received several awards:

• 2011 The Independent Ten People Who Changed The World
• 2012 Evening Standard Most Influential People
• 2015 Evening Standard Most Influential People

See also

In Spanish: Petra Barran para niños