Uber Eats announces winners of its £250k Black Business Fund

Set up by the online food ordering and delivery platform in collaboration with Be Inclusive Hospitality and Enterprise Nation, the fund sees £250,000 distributed to 25 small Black-owned businesses across the country each year.

Almost 600 restaurants applied, with over half of the winners based outside London, from towns and cities including Leeds, Bristol, Blackburn, Huddersfield and Gloucester.

This year’s winners included Dinner At San’s in Brixton, Jikoni East Africa in Bristol, Tyler’s Kitchen in Birmingham and Jenny’s Jerk Chicken in Leeds. 

Black business owners face particular barriers in accessing investment and finance, with Black workers most likely to say ethnicity hinders their career progression.

In the UK, just 5% of small or medium sized businesses are run by people from minority backgrounds, with Black and Mixed ethnicity groups the least likely to be self-employed. According to research: 

43% of Black business owners believe that ethnicity has hindered career progression – the highest of any ethnic minority group, according to Be Inclusive Hospitality 

Among Black business owners, the biggest concern for accessing finance are worries about taking on debt (34%), with only three in ten approaching banks for finance, according to Lloyds Bank. 

“It has been an honour to partner on this initiative for a second year. Judging the entrants was a wonderful reminder of the innovation and passion that runs through the veins of hospitality , and I now have a long list of phenomenal Black-owned restaurants throughout the UK, that I am personally keen to visit,” says Be Inclusive hospitality founder Lorraine Copes. 

“I look forward to following the journeys of the deserving recipients of the grants and mentorship, as I am confident that this initiative will as intend in supporting the recovery from the pandemic.”

Uber Eats UK general manager Matthew Price added: “We are delighted to significantly increase the support available through the Uber Eats Black Business Fund this year. Small businesses and restaurants are the heartbeat of local communities and each recipient has an inspiring story to tell. We want to help the next generation of chefs and entrepreneurs succeed and we hope these grants will allow them to thrive.”