Social Pantry reaches new heights with its first exclusive venue contract

"I felt there was such synergy between us and during the tender process, I was getting more and more excited," she explains. "I felt it was an opportunity where we could make such a difference. What's really exciting is that the tender process is hard-fought and neutrally assessed on a strict scoring system, so to have come out top is brilliant."

Social Pantry will deliver events across the Victorian engine room, which houses the original machinery used to lift the bridge and has a reception capacity of 120, the glass-floored bridge walkways, with a reception capacity of 250, and the North Tower lounge, which can host up to 50 people.

As well as holding the exclusive Tower Bridge contract, Social Pantry is a listed caterer at more than 70 diverse venues, including historic landmarks such as the Royal Academy of Arts and London's Guildhall. Its listed venue portfolio also includes modern event spaces such as the Vinyl Factory in Soho, outdoor settings such as the Chelsea Physic Garden and heritage sites like Old Wardour Castle in Salisbury.

Head adds: "We've gone from strength to strength post-Covid and been listed at some really brilliant venues, which I'm really proud of. It shows that people are refreshing these lists and shaking them up – it's not necessarily all the usual names. That's really exciting and shows there's real opportunity. There's definitely a space for our brand."

A route to work

Head founded Social Pantry in 2011. From the outset the business had social responsibility at its heart, with the founder employing her first prison leaver in 2015 and embarking on a journey that now sees 11% of positions held by individuals that have spent time in prison.

The business, which spans event and workplace catering, has also championed sustainable practices from the outset and applied for B Corp status at the end of last year.

The process has seen Social Pantry work with sustainability consultant Nash Gierak since 2021 and set out a five-year plan, which will see it become carbon-negative by 2026. Kitchens are already zero-waste, the business uses a zero-to-landfill refuse service and partners with food waste charity Olio.

Social Pantry has made significant investments to progress its work with prison leavers in recent years, including fitting out and taking over the staff mess at Feltham Young Offender Institution in Hounslow – a project that was three years in the making. The caterer brought the space back into use in spring 2023 and funds staff mess manager and Social Pantry chef de partie Daniel Nichols to work with four young offenders at a time to prepare and serve breakfast and lunch for the prison's staff.

Social Pantry's HR and culture manager Silvia Lombardi and Head herself regularly visit prisons to speak about the career opportunities they can offer and give support to those wanting to join the company on release. Head also sits on the employment board of Wandsworth Prison and regularly speaks at corporate and industry events about employing prison leavers.

"Every time I do an employee workshop, there are engaged, charismatic guys who have taken the wrong path or been born into a really challenging situation," Head says. "Sometimes I just say: ‘Come and do a trial, we'll give you a free lunch', and they realise it's a nice environment and they can earn some honest money.

"The opportunity is there for them to take, and we're running incredible events for amazing clients. They've got a couple of chances to get it right as we're really forgiving initially, but if at any point it becomes detrimental, we don't continue that employment. It's being tough but also really nurturing and caring."

Many prison leavers have gone on to spend years working within the company, carving out career paths and gaining workplace experience that can lead to further opportunities. Prison leaver Harvey, who has been with Social Pantry for almost a year and is a junior chef de partie, cooked the main course at the caterer's recent Social Supper, a not-for-profit event where ex-offenders were paired with chefs to serve a meal at London's Somerset House for 92 guests.

The work done by Social Pantry in these areas takes significant investment and even in challenging periods Head says it will continue. She adds: "It does take budget and it does take time and when you're operating in an industry where the margins are tight, we sometimes have to justify it, but the key thing is that we do it because we want to do it.

"We've come on such a journey. Back when I employed our first prison leaver in 2015, Social Pantry was a much smaller brand and we didn't really talk about it. We were intent on winning business and, as a small caterer, nothing can jeopardise that, so I didn't want there to be any negative association.

"What's brilliant now is that it's something we highlight and that we're really proud of. The sustainability and social sides underpin the brand and when a client spends money with Social Pantry they know that behind the scenes a lot of good is being done."

Stylish suppers

While Social Pantry has become known for its events, workplace catering has been part of the business since Head secured her first contract with Brentford Football Club in 2012. The workplace team now deliver ‘in-house', ‘styled and served' and ‘drop-off' contracts across London.

Head says: "Within workplace catering we're really pushing the boundaries with brilliantly put-together menus that are fresh, seasonal and delicious. For example, with our food pots and sandwiches it's the same quality of supplier and the same attention to styling in the display and packaging applied across the board. We're providing a fresh, delicious and really nourishing lunch."

The caterer also holds Wellness in the Workplace events for clients, highlighting nutrition and wellbeing topics for their teams.

On top of this, Social Pantry delivers between 20 to 40 events a week across illustrious venues such as the National Gallery, Blenheim Palace, Koko Camden, Old Wardour Castle and Shoreditch Studios. Briefs vary greatly, from celebrations and weddings to product launches, corporate events, festivals (see panel) and more, with Social Pantry having gained a reputation for beautifully-styled spaces and dishes showcasing fresh, vibrant ingredients.

Keeping ahead of the curve is crucial in maintaining that reputation and twice a year Social Pantry sends a trend report to clients, venues and stakeholders highlighting what it thinks will capture guests' attention over the following months.

Head says: "We work really hard on putting that together. Sarah Turner, our development chef, has travelled all over – to New York, Helsinki, Tokyo – exploring food trends. Sarah worked at Nolla, a zero-waste restaurant in Helsinki for a week and three of the team flew out to see her.

"I think we're quite forward-thinking when it comes to thinking about the next thing and that creativity pulls in exciting briefs. When working with those high-end clients you need to keep delivering events people haven't seen before. It's keeping it fresh, keeping it innovative, keeping it on-trend and interesting."

Part of this challenge is in menu development and the team spend a lot of time looking at what restaurants are serving and exploring ways to incorporate ideas into larger-scale catering. It also carries over into the appearance and feel of events. In-house stylist Edlyl Asis helps develop bespoke briefs for each event, incorporating her skills in areas such as calligraphy, watercolours and napkin design.

The caterer is always looking for innovative suppliers and is working with paper flower company Ett Hem and non-alcoholic British sparkling wine producer Wild Idol. It also sends team members to meet suppliers such as the Ethical Butcher and potter Emma Alington to expand their knowledge.

Thoughtful growth

As much as briefs are varied, so are budgets, and in a hugely competitive market amid a cost of living crisis, many could be tempted to look at cost-cutting measures or pause investment in social and environmental projects. But Head stresses that these things underpin Social Pantry and are also important to clients.

She says: "Clients across the board are sensitive to price to varying degrees. It's really challenging but we won't compromise on quality of food or the team. We've made conscious choices about who our suppliers are and we can't suddenly drop our margins to become competitive. For us, it's about holding our nerve. We're not the cheapest caterer but we're priced where we are for a reason, and I believe we have the best quality product and use the best suppliers."

Equally crucial as the business looks to expand are its employees. Head has built a management team that she says is nimble, accountable and hugely talented.

"The team are all incredibly capable," she explains. "They're event professionals and their experience is second to none. It's a tricky industry and they're delivering tough projects – they're at the top of their game. "You're so accountable in a small company: if you join the leadership team at Social Pantry, it's on you to make a difference, whether that's cost control, on the operations side, menu development or maintaining team cohesion and culture. There's no boardroom of suited and booted people at the top, it's just us and that makes us quite dynamic and nimble."

Social Pantry has traditionally seen organic growth between 25%-30% year-on-year and in 2024 is forecasting turnover in excess of £9m. It is continuing its expansion and last year former Casual Dining Group chief executive James Spragg joined the business as non-executive chairman.

Head says: "James has come on board to ensure that effective board meetings are carried out every month and to bring his expertise and support as a sounding board. We've always had a lot of organic growth and because of the strength of the brand and our unique selling points – a lot of opportunities do come to Social Pantry. Sometimes it's about analysing where we are, when we can handle a bit more growth and what that should look like. We definitely say no to opportunities that aren't right and that's quite empowering. We need sensible growth and to capitalise on the opportunities that come."

Capitalising on those opportunities will see Social Pantry continue to "deliver amazing events" and change the face of workplace dining, all while further progressing the business's work with prison leavers "to the best of our ability". Exciting times are ahead.

Social Pantry goes wild

Social Pantry will return to Wilderness Festival for the fourth year this summer, helping to create the chef line-up for its feasting programme for the third time.

The four-day festival at Cornbury Park in Oxfordshire will see a team of 160 catering for 1,600 people a day. The caterer will be hosting and curating the Wilderness Kitchen, Long Table Banquets and the Chef's Table. The 2024 line-up for the Chef's Table includes Andi Oliver, Claude Bosi, Asma Khan, Chantelle Nicholson and Rafael Cagali.

Head says: "We facilitate all of the banqueting. Sarah Turner, our development chef, works in the chefs' kitchens for a day. They then send us a menu, which we prepare for them, and they check that it's all done as they like with the right suppliers. Then we'll go through serveware and all other aspects.

"On the day, [executive chef] Richard [Gynn] and Sarah run the kitchens, cooking those menus, with the chefs presenting them to guests and overseeing the event. This year we've got some cool up and coming concepts that we've brought to that platform. It's exciting."

The new Wilderness Kitchen will host brunch and supper club offerings from the likes of Mam Sham, Bloodshot Supperclub and the caterer's own Social Supperclub, an event that highlights the talents of the prison leavers within its teams.