Bristol-based food delivery business McCoy’s Kitchen has won a £1,500 investment from the Bristol Junior Chamber (BJC) to expand its presence in the city.
The start-up, founded by Rishaun Higgins after his Facebook post of a lasagne went viral, operates a food delivery service on Fridays and Sundays, promoted entirely through social media.
It was awarded the entrepreneur prize at the Empowered 2016 event run by Babbasa, the Bristol-based social enterprise that runs empowerment projects for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The award also includes mentor support from a team of BJC members.
BJC president Oliver Brown said: “McCoy’s was up against a lot of competition for the award but their entrepreneurial spirit really set them apart.
“They have a great concept and the foundations for a solid business, which they have already made good progress in developing.
“It’s a competitive industry but we’re confident that as a chamber we can help to support them on their journey – not just financially but through mentoring from our membership base of young professionals in the city.”
McCoy’s Kitchen specialises in Caribbean food and in addition to its food deliveries, has appeared at food markets throughout Bristol, including the Rum Festival at Motion in September.
It is now targeting Bristol’s growing pop-up restaurant scene, operating from kitchens at venues on a short-term basis.
Rishaun Higgins said: “Bristol has a buzzing food scene and we’re excited about the opportunity to grow our business further here. This investment will help us to scale up the number of meals we can cook and deliver each week, while the advice and support that the mentors provides us will help us stay on track with our business plan. We have dreams of being the next Nando’s and can’t wait to share our chicken with the world.”
Pictured: Rishaun Higgins (right) and his business partner Ryan Dunkley
