Samarkand Palav: Bringing Authentic Uzbekistan Flavours to London's Streets

In 2022, Akbar and Sanobar joined the Streets Ahead program with a clear vision: to become the ultimate destination for food enthusiasts seeking an authentic and immersive experience. As they stated in their winning pitch deck in 2023: “Our goal is to transport customers on a journey that fosters connection and captivates the senses whilst promoting cross-cultural understanding.” 

The duo joined the McCain Streets Ahead Programme, powered by KERB+​​, after being referred by TERN (The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network), aiming to establish a presence on the streets of London with their Uzbekistan dish osh palav, while also giving back to the community through food and cultural education. 

Akbar and Sanobar, who moved from Uzbekistan to the UK with their daughter seeking refuge, quickly noticed the demand for ethnic cuisines in London. This, along with their traditional cooking skills and the vibrant cultural scene in the city, ignited their dream.

By June 2023, through Streets Ahead, they had mastered the operational aspects of running a street food market in the UK, including the necessary legislation and documentation for compliance. They completed the newly accredited classroom course and received one-to-one training from KERB’s head of coaching, Lisa Donohue, and head of food, Charlie Casey - both experts in the street food sector. 

Prepared to pitch their concept, Akbar and Sanobar joined McCain and KERB+ at a panel day hosted at Mission Kitchen at New Covent Garden Market in London. They arrived early to prepare their palav dish from scratch, including traditional bread, lamb, spiced Iranian rice, and fresh vegetables like yellow carrots, an indigenous ingredient from their homeland. Reflecting on their journey in a recent interview with McCain and KERB, Sanobar mentioned: “At first it was hard, gave us a lot of stress, but the program gave us a platform.”

Inspired by their background and creativity, McCain invested £10,000 into the couple's business, Samarkand Palav.

Akbar exclaimed: “Without Streets Ahead, we would not be doing this today it gave us belief and kindness.”

Since then, Samarkand Palav has invested in the necessary catering equipment, gazebo and transportation to consistently serve at multiple markets each week. 

As of September 2023, you can satisfy your craving for Uzbek cuisine throughout the week at Cowcross Yards, outside the Gherkin building, or Fleet Place. They have recently announced that their journey doesn’t end here with a plan to give back to society by supporting children's education, arts, music, and women's empowerment.

Samarkand Palav often sets up alongside Bisan Bites and UTOPIA, two other businesses that found success through Streets Ahead and now trade in London, fostering a supportive community and lasting connections.

“In the future, we want to look for our own place, to turn to a cafe” Akbar mentioned in a recent interview when asked what’s in store for the future.

Streets Ahead has successfully changed lives through street food. Watch their full interview here​​.

You can follow Samarkand Palav’s journey on their socials via @samarkandpalav​​ or McCain’s @mccainfoodserviceuk​​ where you can find out more about all 19 businesses that have now received start-up investment through the Streets Ahead Programme.

The McCain FS Streets Ahead programme​​,​ supported by the KERB+​​ social enterprise aims to support the foodservice industry by creating an immersive programme that looks to upskill and create opportunities for less-advantaged individuals keen to break into the sector. Together, over the past 18 months they have nurtured the skills and street food business ideas of over 200 participants and McCain has invested over £146,000 into independent businesses, so far.