Founded in 2011 by Alex Head, Social Pantry is the go-to caterer for forward thinking, socially conscious and memorable events with clients including Rihanna, David Attenborough, Hilary Clinton, HRH Prince of Wales and Louis Vuitton. With a passion for serving fresh, seasonal, and delicious food, Social Pantry are widely recognised for their forward-thinking approach towards sustainability and their goal of being the first zero waste caterer.

Edition invested into the business in 2019. As well as being impressed by the breadth of their experience and the quality of the events and venues catered for, we were attracted by their commitment to social principles beyond sustainability; Social Pantry has led the way in ex-offender employment since 2015, helping over 30 ex-offenders get back into the workplace, including 5-10% of current staff.

The company flourished post-investment, launching permanent spaces to accompany their thriving events business. When Covid-19 restrictions halted trading on what was set to be their biggest year to date, the company adapted by modifying their offer to include meal box deliveries, Christmas hampers and various take away options.

In the second half of 2021, the business experienced a surge in demand for weddings and events as lockdown measures were lifted, with over 250 events catered for in the eight months to December 2021. Recent high-profile events include serving 2,800 festival goers a banquet meal at Wilderness, and Alexander McQueen and Burberry at London Fashion Week. They have also added prestigious venue accreditations to their extensive list, including The National Theatre and Woolwich Works. To further their work with the ex-offender community, Social Pantry recently won a competitive tender to reopen the staff cafe within HMP Feltham YOI. The café will have 6-8 inmates training and running the kitchen; all of whom will be offered a job at Social Pantry on release.

Event enquiries in 2021 increased by 120% compared to 2019, supported not just by the boom in events following a fallow period but by enquirers seeking a ‘green’ caterer who are attracted by Social Pantry’s zero waste menus and intention to make operations entirely free from single-use plastic. For brands, venues and individuals, alignment with authentic socially conscious suppliers is more important than ever, and Social Pantry are proud to be the market leaders, enabling them to directly compete with the biggest and best high-end caterers in London.

Championing socially conscious principles since inception is founder Alex Head, who is one of London’s most recognised female leaders in the hospitality industry. In 2019, Alex was awarded Stylist’s Remarkable Women of the Year and she has featured on Sky News, The Times and in many other publications for her social and sustainability work, including zero waste recipes. We’re proud to back this fantastic female-led business, and remain excited about its growth and future prospects.