A NEW street food initiative involving some of the town's best chefs begins in Boscombe in the coming weeks.

StreetCube is a collective of chefs and entrepreneurs who will be dispensing quality street food from four 'upcycled' 10 foot shipping containers converted into professional kitchens.

The first is expected to be installed on the corner opposite McDonalds in Christchurch Road, previously home to a burger van.

Celebrity chef Ainsley Harriot is to attend the official opening this Spring.

Local chefs and start-up 'foodie entrepreneurs' will be able to rent the cubes from as little as £50 a day with no long-term contracts, expensive leases or rates, to showcase their talents and to cook fresh, healthy food options and entertain the crowds.

"Cooking great food has always been the cohesive bond in every community, family and between social groups as a whole," a spokesman said.

"StreetCube aims to bring people together to enjoy a more affordable, and more healthy approach to gastronomy, with a focus on real cooking, affordable prices and bringing people together with an eye on what’s right for the planet and for people as a community.

"We want to demonstrate and remind the big chains how to cook properly, using great ingredients, ethically sourced seasonal produce and using materials that don’t harm the planet - good food doesn’t have to cost the Earth."

The steel shipping containers are ex-seagoing transatlantic cargo boxes, which have previously been used to transport goods from China and around the world.

Food on offer will range from classic dishes such as wood-fired pizza, gourmet burgers and other favourites, to street food classics such as Asian, African, Cuban, Mexican, European, BBQ, fish and various others.

"StreetCube offers street food traders the chance to test out new ideas, to set themselves up in business and to have a permanent, weatherproof location from which to trade, with cheap flexible rental terms," the spokesman said.

"We allow for anyone who has a passion in cooking to develop new food ideas to sell direct to their clientele and be profitable, bridging the gap between trading from a street food gazebo or van and opening a restaurant."

The group is working alongside Bournemouth council and the Boscombe Regeneration team.

Street food traders are invited to register their interest in getting involved. Call 020 3514 2233 or visit streetcube.co.uk