# Starting a Street Food Business: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 21, Test 3, Listening Part 2

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 21, Test 3, Listening Part 2. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 11 | C, E | They also like seeing food prepared in front of them, and which hasn't come straight out of a freezer. |
| 12 | C, E | People like the idea of trying something they can't get anywhere else. |
| 13 | B, E | Food markets on the other hand are great |
| 14 | B, E | And if you can get a spot in your local park, fantastic. |
| 15 | B | I'd try to get things like hobs and fridges second hand if you can. |
| 16 | C | It's got to be easy to eat and look attractive, or customers won't come back. |
| 17 | F | as they were working till midnight in the restaurant all week |
| 18 | A | because the price of fish essential for some of their dishes was so high |
| 19 | B | people standing in a long queue for more than 15 minutes |
| 20 | D | they'd need a special license |

## Why these answers are right

**11. C, E.** One reason Jon gives is C. Customers like seeing food prepared in front of them that has not come straight out of a freezer. Cooked on the spot rather than frozen means freshly made, so this is one explanation for street food's popularity.

**12. C, E.** The other reason is E. Unlike fast food, which is the same everywhere, street food offers something different, and people like trying something they cannot get anywhere else. Food you cannot find elsewhere is unusual food.

**13. B, E.** Food markets (B) are one recommended place. Jon says food markets are great because customers are really interested in food and give useful feedback, which contrasts with his warning about festivals, so this is a clear recommendation for a new business.

The why and the trap for questions 14 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/starting-a-street-food-business/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** Part two.

**Announcer:** You will hear a man giving a talk to people who are interested in starting their own street food business.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14.

**Announcer:** Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.

**Jon:** Good evening, everyone.

**Jon:** My name is Jon, and I run Veg Out, a street food business selling vegan food.

**Jon:** Since 2012, I've been traveling all around the country cooking vegan food in my converted van.

**Jon:** And selling it at all kinds of outdoor events.

**Jon:** I'm here to give you some advice based on my experience.

**Jon:** The good news is that there's never been a better time to start your own street food business.

**Jon:** Street food continues to grow in popularity.

**Jon:** I think there are a couple of reasons for this.

**Jon:** The first is that street food is a reaction against fast food.

**Jon:** Street food ranges from high quality burgers to vegan curries and everything in between.

**Jon:** But while fast food is cheap and easy to find, it's not particularly good for you.

**Jon:** It's also the same everywhere.

**Jon:** What you get with street food on the other hand is something different.

**Jon:** People like the idea of trying something they can't get anywhere else.

**Jon:** They also like seeing food prepared in front of them, and which hasn't come straight out of a freezer.

**Jon:** You need to think about the best place to sell your street food.

**Jon:** People always think music festivals are an obvious place to start, but the cost of renting a space can be huge.

**Jon:** And there's always a lot of competition.

**Jon:** Food markets on the other hand are great, because customers are always really interested in food, and give great feedback.

**Jon:** And if you can get a spot in your local park, fantastic.

**Jon:** Usually very relaxed, but with lots of customers passing by.

**Jon:** Once you get established, you'll start getting asked to do parties, which can be really challenging but lots of fun.

**Jon:** Having street food at weddings has become quite fashionable too, but you need to really know what you're doing, as everything needs to be perfect.

**Announcer:** Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20.

**Announcer:** Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20.

**Jon:** Setting up a street food business costs a lot less than opening a restaurant or cafe.

**Jon:** But you'll have to buy some basic equipment.

**Jon:** I'd try to get things like hobs and fridges second hand if you can.

**Jon:** You can replace them with better quality stuff if your business takes off.

**Jon:** Renting is another option, but you'll end up spending more money rather than saving it.

**Jon:** You've probably got a good idea about the food you're planning to sell.

**Jon:** I expect you've done some research to find out if anyone else is selling a similar product, and you'll have thought about any possible allergies to nuts or eggs etcetera.

**Jon:** But there's one thing people don't always think about, and that's how you're going to serve it.

**Jon:** On a plate?

**Jon:** In a bag?

**Jon:** Will you provide a fork?

**Jon:** Will it all be easily recyclable or reusable?

**Jon:** It's got to be easy to eat and look attractive, or customers won't come back.

**Jon:** Once you get started, you should be prepared for things to go wrong.

**Jon:** Every business faces problems, and here are a few examples from street food businesses that I know.

**Jon:** My friends who run Thai Basil started by juggling their street food business with their day jobs in a restaurant.

**Jon:** Their work life balance was non existent, as they were working till midnight in the restaurant all week.

**Jon:** And then took their food truck to markets on their days off.

**Jon:** The owners of Basque found it was hard to make a profit, because the price of fish essential for some of their dishes was so high, and it was hard to charge customers a lot more for those dishes.

**Jon:** So they had to stop focusing on fish dishes, and include more vegetarian food.

**Jon:** The owners of Lou's Kitchen were making salads to order from their van, and some of their dishes were quite complicated.

**Jon:** At one of their first events, they ended up with people standing in a long queue for more than 15 minutes, and many of them lost patience.

**Jon:** So make sure whatever you offer can be served quickly and efficiently.

**Jon:** The owners of Chip Chop had found a perfect venue near a beach where there weren't any other street food trucks.

**Jon:** But what they hadn't realized was that they'd need a special license.

**Jon:** Which individual businesses don't need at markets or festivals.

**Jon:** It was a complicated process, and in the end, they gave up.

**Jon:** So, I hope that's given you a flavor of some of the things that can have.

**Announcer:** That is the end of part two.

**Announcer:** You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to part two.

[Practice Starting a Street Food Business](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/starting-a-street-food-business)