Sustainable and ethical behaviour isn’t limited to environmental practices. It translates into all areas of business including providing opportunities for people who may find themselves excluded from the workforce.
Alex Head is the founder of the leading sustainable catering company, Social Pantry. As one of the first 15 UK companies employing ex-offenders to be awarded the prestigious YOUNITED Flag award, Social Pantry is a dedicated champion of equity and opportunity within the workforce.
In this episode, Alex shares her advice on how founders can overcome the stigma of starting up a business differently and why now is the right time to declare what your intentions are with your ESG goals.
Alex’s advice:
Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.
FF&M enables you to own your own PR.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason. Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason.
Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes.
FF&M recommends:
MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod. Link & Licence
Sustainable and ethical behaviour isn’t limited to environmental practices. It translates into all areas of business including providing opportunities for people who may find themselves excluded from the workforce.
Alex Head is the founder of the leading sustainable catering company, Social Pantry. As one of the first 15 UK companies employing ex-offenders to be awarded the prestigious YOUNITED Flag award, Social Pantry is a dedicated champion of equity and opportunity within the workforce.
In this episode, Alex shares her advice on how founders can overcome the stigma of starting up a business differently and why now is the right time to declare what your intentions are with your ESG goals.
Alex’s advice:
Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.
FF&M enables you to own your own PR.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason. Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason.
Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes.
FF&M recommends:
MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod. Link & Licence
01:28.88
fallowfieldmason
Hi Alex it's great to have you on how to start up today. It'd be wonderful if you could kick off with a brief introduction as to who you are and a bit about the business that you started.
01:35.13
Alex
Of course, thanks so much for having me and this is yes such a privilege to thank you. So I'm Alex head and I own social pantry and we are an events and contract catering company and I also have a couple of sites in London. And I employ a brilliant team over the capital and our Usps our sustainability and and social and exoffender employment. So I started back in 2011 now which feels like a very long time ago and yes, definitely over a decade.
01:59.41
fallowfieldmason
And when did you start Social pantry.
02:09.54
Alex
I was working and always was working in the hospitality industry growing up. I Loved cooking and loved entertaining loved throwing a party I studied hospitality in business I chef in lots of terrifying scary restaurants when I was much younger. And did lots of paid work restaurants and unpaid work in restaurants back in the day when I was 15 sixteen I just really enjoyed it and really loved it I then always had a bit of a and a side hustle I suppose so was always cooking dinner parties or baking cakes or ready meils or people's freezes. And I was running and pubs and restaurants for a couple of and entrepreneurs who were brilliant and and doing really well as doing a couple of sites openings for them and actually it was when one of the sites that we opened didn't work after six months it closed it was a pizza opening and a pizza by the slice was maybe if you look at New York and you know maybe it was a bit before its time. And and it actually just didn't work out. They just chose the wrong premises. So when that closed it was a great little company called melito when melito closed I I had built up a bit of a you know bit of a bit of a business on the side I suppose and it was at that point I was about 24 entry four or 25 and I thought oh shall I do this full time shall I just give it a shot. So I thought okay I'm just going to say yes to every single bit of catering that comes my way and for the first 6 months of social pantry I still wait just I went back to waitressing and so just wait just for a little bit of steady income and for the weeks when I wasn't as busy.
03:39.91
Alex
But I then just rented kitchens through the night and said yes to every single catering job or request that came in and here I am now. Yeah yes yeah.
03:47.93
fallowfieldmason
And did you call it social pantry to start with because obviously that social responsibility element of your business model is so so key what gave you the idea for it in the first place.
03:55.61
Alex
Yeah, yeah, of course so social pantry. We yeah named it and yeah, well over a decade ago but also wanted to have wanted it to do some social good. And I started mentoring a gentleman called reen who's brilliant. Fantastic and he's great. He still works in social panry now he didn't actually start working at social pantry until a few years ago but I was mentoring him. He was my first ever prison visits and the charity I went in with actually said would you employ one of the other prison leavers. So at that time I think I only employed 5 or 6 you know staff. So I got everybody in a room and I said hey listen I've been you know, asked to take on board next offender would would would you guys be open to it well then we met su hail and everybody was like yeah cool we're up for this is a team so quite a small team. We thought yeah brilliant. Why don't we do that and and so Sue Hale joined and then he he started on three days a week and and wasn't that he wasn't that committed so I had to say to him I took him aside and I said hey listen I I work really hard. It's going to get here so you either do five days a week or nothing at all but either commit and be on board and make the most of the opportunity or don't and actually that but a tough love worked and and he stayed with us cook and of I think four or five years in the end
05:02.93
fallowfieldmason
Amazing.
05:04.98
Alex
And agree within the company which was really great. So he's a real success story but he was my first ever ex-offender and but yeah, yeah.
05:11.70
fallowfieldmason
Well presumably ten years ago there was a lot of stigma attached to employing ex-offenders and why for you why were you volunteering in the first place where did that impetus come from and why is it so important that you've embedded that into your business model now.
05:24.48
Alex
Yeah I think I was always just quite interested in prisons and I yeah I suppose I you know the charity I can't remember how I got in touch with the charity. It was key for life who are brilliant and fantastic and I suppose god us intex offender employment in you know, gave me the confidence to do initially which was great. And but I think I think it's a friend's actually who recommended it. You know who said that they had mentioned the charity and I realized actually you could mentor and I just thought why not but so initialized just a buggy for Reuben and but giving back I think is really important that for me has always just been a bit of a passion and a bit of a. You know I suppose a bit of a side hobby and when over the years've done all sorts from this a brilliant church and Chelsea that used to feed the homeless in that was great and then I suppose with the ex-offender element of it I could employ it. You know I could I could easily offer an opportunity with social pantry. so so so why not when given the chance.
06:15.46
fallowfieldmason
Absolutely there are pros and cons to this in terms of internal buy-in from your teams have you had any pushback from clients? What challenges have you faced in doing this?
06:25.85
Alex
Yeah, so funny that you say about the stigma early on at the beginning I would not have told anybody we were so we kept it totally under wraps because Social Pantry was still this emerging Brand. We were still having to really prove ourselves. We were working with lots of fashion clients and you know and really ultimately social pantry. You know the business is delivering incredible events incredible workplace catering and brilliant Sights. So Nothing can get in the way of that like you know we're not, We're not invincible. You know we're open to it.
06:53.89
fallowfieldmason
You don't compromise on anything. Yeah.
06:55.80
Alex
Yeah, exactly we're open to the elements. You know we're we're not bulletproof. So if Anne you know when when people join the team they have to be brilliant and that goes to the ex-offenders as well. At any point if they're you know if it's . You know if if it's more you know if it's it's less if it's less positive than it is you know is good then we you know we ultimately can't do that so we have to make sure that nothing compromises the m product and so yes, at the beginning. We definitely didn't tell anybody that was I just wasn't confident enough and the brand wasn't in a big enough place I suppose and then.
07:26.38
Alex
So only but surely I you know started telling clients and actually, I suppose that was in line with you know people having more you know more appetite for it and being you know, slightly more open to it but in terms of the team here like I think that's one of the main reasons people join social pantry is is for the ex-offender element and the social values. They really do love it and I think there's a survey actually I can't remember if it's the cater a couple of years ago that did it and it said like 98% of people would be happy to work along some work alongside somebody having a second chance. So there's definitely value to it that it does cost. You know a lot of time energy emotion.
07:52.64
fallowfieldmason
Who.
08:00.50
Alex
But , you know now. Luckily we do you know I suppose we do get clients on the back of it as well. Which is great but it's taken us, you know a long time to be that confident with it. But it's nice now that we're recognized and being rewarded for leading the way I suppose and on being brave all those years ago.
08:13.98
fallowfieldmason
Yeah, absolutely well huge congratulations and I think staffing anyone I've spoken to for the podcast has said finding the best people is the hardest part of the job and the people management element is the most time consing and the most emotional and it's just everything.
08:19.90
Alex
, you know.
08:24.87
Alex
, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, totally.
08:30.35
fallowfieldmason
And it can eat you up when you get it wrong and you're just like ah is at the forefront of your every day if it's wrong, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they have to be an ex-off offender to not be performing anyone in the business. It might just not be the right job for them. So have you done a lot of sort of Hr work or training in recruitment or how have you.
08:41.32
Alex
Yeah.
08:49.41
fallowfieldmason
Really looked after your people.
08:50.40
Alex
So yeah, ultimately you know, social pantry is reliant on the team and they are what makes social pantry So brilliant and you know having started it from the bottom up and from scratch I've definitely got it so wrong at points and obviously I've got some things you know right? to still be in business and still be. You know, yeah.
09:07.28
fallowfieldmason
Yeah.
09:09.56
Alex
Still Operating. So I think for me, it's about learning quite quickly. It's learning from your mistakes like you know there are points where I've put it wrong or gone down the wrong path with the structure or you know potentially put the wrong people in the wrong positions and and do you know what? we all get it wrong and that's totally okay, it's about recognizing it. And making sure that everybody is enjoying their job feels valued and isn't at any point can a value of their depth but also is always learning and growing I think that's something that we really try to focus on at Social pantry is during their time at Social Pantry trying to upskill them. and give them skills. They can take on to other employers. But actually you know just giving them. Yeah I suppose giving them learning experiences you know and making sure that they leave social pantry having learned lots and enjoyed it. You know that's the aim of the game. The hostality industry is really hard work and so you know at the end of the day if we can make it a really brilliant you know, environment for employees that then we definitely will Try. But.
09:56.16
fallowfieldmason
, yeah.
10:04.13
Alex
You know it has to be a balanced approach. Ultimately, you know we haven't got the biggest budgets to work with It's a really competitive industry and the margins aren't huge so we have to you know we have to do it in a way that works for the business but we definitely are trying to always be quite innovative in what we can do and what we can. Yeah what we can provide our teams and it's as simple as . Some of our team do their doubly set training. They might do first aid courses. We did our first diversity inclusion actually course earlier this year we put thirty of the team through that which is really exciting and they were really receptive for that. But when you do a year. It say your pantry in the kitchen say you go off and do a star so you go and work we pay for you to go and work at another kitchen. So off they go and work at 0 waste kitchen. So Sarah went to helsinki and a couple of years ago which is brilliant. They go off to silo in West London in East London sorry and and we're just looking at a starge for and for one of our stylists to go and work with a production company. So it's all about getting visibility learning and and I suppose just yeah, walking away from social panche when you do leave whether you've done 1 year or 5 years you know thinking gosh that was actually really great. You know the a they cared about me and b I learned loads.
11:06.65
fallowfieldmason
That's so important. But I think I've always thought this in jobs people around you make them break your job. You can have the best job description on the world. But if the people around you aren't your people or you don't fit that culture. You can be miserable.
11:08.81
Alex
And that's the aim of the game.
11:16.44
Alex
Yes.
11:23.28
fallowfieldmason
And I love what you said about when people leave and I've said to my team you will leave me at some point we have to admit this I would I can't I don't want this to happen but we have to be like transparent about this that at some point you're going to want to move on and if I can't find you a job within the business I will help you get a job elsewhere and it was like but you'll.
11:28.99
Alex
Yes.
11:35.83
Alex
Yeah, yeah.
11:43.24
fallowfieldmason
Encouraging people to leave I'm like and I'm not I'm actually probably encouraging them to stay because they can be completely transparent with me about it and I think making sure the time they spend in our company is the best time that they can and ultimately it's not selfless because I know I'm going to get way more out of them if they're happy and engaged and working really hard.
11:57.92
Alex
Totally Yeah, yeah, exactly.
12:02.46
fallowfieldmason
And enjoying their job because if you enjoy your job. You'll go to the nth degree and for catering in hospitality I've been on that side as well I grew up waiting and I've worked behind bars and I've worked for hotels. So I know how hard it can be and it's.
12:13.89
Alex
Yeah.
12:17.60
fallowfieldmason
It's one hundred and fifty percent or is a mistake. There's no middle ground. There's no middle spectr and that's I I don't envy you because I but I also know what an incredible reputation your business has and the fact you're performing at that high level of luxury brands and you you don't drop anything.
12:18.75
Alex
Yeah, yay, Yeah yeah.
12:33.23
fallowfieldmason
That's a lot of pressure. How do you manage that responsibility?
12:35.44
Alex
Yeah, it is. It's definitely a less pressure. They have the clients get more and more demanding and and you know quite rightly when they're paying a lot of money. Of course you know that's our job and we're in the service industry. You know that's the reality of it if you don't want to be.
12:42.49
fallowfieldmason
, yeah.
12:48.31
fallowfieldmason
, yeah.
12:50.86
Alex
You know, working the holidays and when people are partying you know working then it's just not the right industries. So we're quite. We're quite transparent about that and yeah, so it's just having a brilliant team of people and that you know and ultimately they are so skilled. They are so intelligent they are so switch on and they've got the best experience.
13:02.55
fallowfieldmason
.
13:08.81
Alex
And really for us. It's about you know it's about onboarding people with the best skills I Think what's challenging at the moment where so you know we we can't you know we sometimes we can't compete with you know the paychecks that some of the big guys offering so again, it comes down to culture and what they're going to learn and where they enjoy working. But for us, it's about giving a lot of opportunity like often and. You know social panchry. They might be relatively junior but they won't be managing really quite exciting clients. So they maybe wouldn't get in a bigger in a bigger team. So. There's a lot of responsibility that comes with it and and a lot of exposure and a slightly smaller business.. There's a lot of exposure to I suppose the bigger events and and everything that's going on so they're definitely going to learn lots of social panity.
13:34.24
fallowfieldmason
.
13:47.28
Alex
<unk>s always quite satisfied when someone comes back like we call them a boomerang and we're always thrilled when we get on going back because that's always like okay we've done something right there and and you know maybe they've gone off. Yeah maybe to a different industry. Yeah yeah, yeah, actually I'll come I'll come back that wasn't so great.
13:54.16
fallowfieldmason
Is the biggest compliment yeah because they're like I tried somewhere else actually I prefer you.
14:04.53
Alex
You know the grass is always greener for all you know and and that's the reality. So so we just need to be creative about how we can create an environment's you know, really brilliant but also a bit of a work life balance as well. I think that's really important and yeah, completely completely and we have people that you know have got children. You know there doesn't need to be working all hours and
14:06.00
fallowfieldmason
, yeah.
14:16.55
fallowfieldmason
, especially in hospitality for sure.
14:22.90
fallowfieldmason
Yeah.
14:24.27
Alex
You know you know it's not about that. It's about being really clever about it and I think that goes a long way for the retention.
14:28.11
fallowfieldmason
And given you're over a decade old with social pantry. Do you think now you're recruiting people because of your values with the company and you're recruiting clients and employees is that become a little bit more obvious in the recruitment when they're interviewing you as much as you're interviewing them. Are they.
14:37.80
Alex
, yeah.
14:46.10
Alex
, yet.
14:47.30
fallowfieldmason
Are they joining because of those yeah ESG values you've got bedded into the company.
14:50.29
Alex
Yeah, definitely I think so I think that would be cited in most interviews I would say I think that's definitely and we always try and we try and do get a prison a prison visit within the first and within the first six months and of them starting social pantry just so they can see that you know exactly how it works and.
14:56.45
fallowfieldmason
.
15:09.35
Alex
And yeah, go in. We go into we work with redemption roass who roast coffee behind bars so going in and you know to see that setup or coming into an and meet the employer's day and in you know in the prisons that we work with and we're actually in chats with 2 prisons about opening a staff mess. 1 ne's been in motion for a couple of years it should happen pretty quickly. It's it started and then stopped. But yeah, that's it Felton and then onesworth prison as well. So there's we should within the next kind have 2 sites behind bars where we feed the staff mess as well. So the employees at social panrya have exposure to that and.
15:39.60
fallowfieldmason
, yeah.
15:42.21
Alex
But at the moment we just try and get them into prison and just so they can understand it and you know I suppose see that journey that the guys have come on when coming out.
15:47.83
fallowfieldmason
It clearly really is at the forefront of your business and you're super passionate about it and you've been committed to this for a long time. What is it in your gut that keeps you committed to this and keeps you determined to make this succeed.
15:59.39
Alex
Yeah I think the guys like honestly that they they are brilliant and they're they're pretty charismatic. They're quite fun and and for us it's about they've done their time and and it's about the judicial system and probation and legal system says they're to be released in society. Why wouldn't we offer them a job.
16:18.80
fallowfieldmason
.
16:18.82
Alex
Why wouldn't we like you know I'd been a given chances when I had no skills and no Experience. So You know some of them do come having God experience and that's brilliant and having worked in the industry before or behind bars and some of them come just with the right attitude. So We're all about that. We're like cool join the team be ready to learn and you know if we can I suppose help them you know. Not reoffend and and give them that one you know one of a nber of elements that they need to to help them which is you know housing you know, family setup can affect it and job whether they have a job or not you know all those all those factors actually feed into the likelihood and them reoffending. So if we can eliminate one and support in the other areas as Well. Then.
16:43.90
fallowfieldmason
The.
16:55.14
fallowfieldmason
And do you think in the food and beverage industry and hospitality. It's harder to bed in environmental responsibility and social responsibility than other sectors or is it equally challenging across any startup.
16:55.97
Alex
Then why not.
17:07.67
Alex
Yeah I think I definitely think it's challenging I know that I mean I a cross sector I don't fully know but I know the hospitality industry I suppose doesn't have the biggest margins and and so that ultimately it it is. We have a 5 year roadmap and we're yeah we're just sitting between year two and 3 at the moment.
17:19.26
fallowfieldmason
.
17:24.41
fallowfieldmason
And you've published this on your website as well I wanted to ask you declared it? yeah.
17:26.59
Alex
, we're on track. Yes, yeah, yeah, totally we were like hey this is what our goals are and if we don't meet them for any reason here are the reasons but we are on track at the moment and doing everything we can to hit it and we're totally transparent about it and because we're you know we're not. You know we're doing what we can within our budgets within our capacity within our operational structure and I suppose when Sarah went off to helsinki and learned lots. You know that's in a restaurant and what works in a restaurant is brilliant. Fantastic. Can you can you put that across catering and just to give you some idea of vole. The. And work play side will do 30 to 40 year drops a week and on the event side. They'll do the same so 35 to 45 events a week so you're talking yeah the scale of it is is and is is really challenging. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we like me about to go into June as I it's quite.
18:08.74
fallowfieldmason
, my goodness. , that's huge. .
18:19.50
Alex
Like for love. But , so really some things that work well in a sandalone site and can be rolled up very easily that actually does it. It doesn't work and it takes a different system or a different perspective but when we were looking at it. You know three or four years ago I actually bought on board a sustainability consultant and she is brilliant. She's the expert. She's on keeping me up to date. And keeping me learning. We're big about education for the team. But I'd advise anybody really and just to you know, get an expert in that area like you might have an expert a consultant of Hr or marketing like definitely have one for sustainability like you know she's the expert. The laws are always changing and and you've got to try and stay at the forefront of it. So with accreditations and and to prevent greenwashing. We're we're going for bcorp from relatively far down the line but you need to be able to really have the stats and facts and understand what you're doing and rather than just pulling a terminology in ah in a response to a client. So. So for us, it's about being quite transparent and you know hopefully people can learn from that. But we're not getting it all right? and and there's always more that we want to do but you know we're on our journey. We know that we're doing what we can for the size of our business at our profit levels and you know with our capabilities I suppose.
19:25.28
fallowfieldmason
And if you could have your time again looking back is there anything that you'd have done differently from a esg or sustainable governance. All of all of the good stuff. What would.
19:29.88
Alex
Oh yes, yeah I think at the beginning I fully would have written a business plan and maybe got some investment back in the day and yeah, yeah to to.
19:40.60
fallowfieldmason
Really? Then you wouldn't be where you are today. Why why? why? why? that because I was the same I was like I assed if I had to start business I needed a business plan and I was made redundant as like oh no I'm just starting now and just opened a laptop and.
19:51.83
Alex
Yeah.
19:55.76
fallowfieldmason
A lot of people said I wouldn't have wasted any time on a business plan I regret spending so much time doing the business plan. Yeah so I don't know if it's a grass is always greener thing again, but looking back. What do you think a business plan would have given you at the beginning sort of security or peace of mind.
20:01.23
Alex
, ah, really okay, that makes me feel better. Okay, yeah, true.
20:08.67
Alex
Yes, maybe just a little bit more structure I suppose but really for me, it was about yeah it it was just about saying yes to everything and anything and that gave me such a vast you know vast experience I suppose in the world of hospitality. We've done everything across the board from feeding football teams to.
20:13.78
fallowfieldmason
Structure.
20:24.18
fallowfieldmason
, yeah.
20:27.95
Alex
You know in-house sites are members clubs to rest. You know we've we've we've done all of it. So I suppose it was just some hard and painful lessons. But as long as you only can them? Yeah, totally and you know but I supposed you know for me doing it while I Yeah while I was young and had the energy that was you know, definitely wise and but in terms of sustainability I think I think.
20:33.56
fallowfieldmason
You feel your way with it. Yeah, you get right.
20:48.30
Alex
We've developed it as we've gone along like it's definitely something that requires budget and time and and so I I would say that you know, weaving that in either if I start a business now I would 100% have it is is a really big part of my business plan and my investment pitch and you know as part of the you know I would really make. You know any new business concept for me I would have sustainability at the heart of it because I think that's the way it's going and put you know on on a business front but also from a personal note like why wouldn't we be trying to do good whilst you know, whilst you know running a business I think there's a social responsibility for business owners to where they can try and make a difference.
21:11.42
fallowfieldmason
.
21:24.49
Alex
So if I starting now. Ah I would 100% weave it in and almost make it make it the focus and but each of their own and I'm assing that every industry is so different but in the hospitality industry there is there are benefits as well like our you know our 0 waste mentality in the kitchen is is brilliant. You know that does save money.
21:27.70
fallowfieldmason
Yeah.
21:41.79
Alex
And you know, you know, reducing red meats and from our menus is something that we're focusing on at the moment and that actually means that you know where it's more degan and veggie led menus. You know you know I suppose it's a little bit more cost effective to do it that way and then when you're buying meat. You're just buying the best quality.
21:57.22
fallowfieldmason
Are.
21:59.26
Alex
So for us, it's all about using the best suppliers and the best quality you know that that we can that we can afford and that we can get so it's working with the best suppliers really and making sure that it is just you know everything that we do is is sustainable where possible.
22:11.23
fallowfieldmason
Well, that's why it's so interesting to talk to you because I've learned having gone through the Bcorp thing as well. It's not just about tracking your carbon footprint which everyone's like oh but you get planes. You can't be Bcorp and I was like well it's also about community clients governance people and you and your business.
22:15.92
Alex
, yeah, no.
22:24.94
Alex
, yeah.
22:28.80
fallowfieldmason
Tick so many of those boxes in terms of your looking after your people first your employees your clients and then also your sourcing of ingredients because that for you is obviously going to be a huge headache and ever-changing seasonal changes. , Brexit you name it, you've probably had it thrown at you in terms of sourcing.
22:36.98
Alex
, yeah.
22:45.35
Alex
, yeah.
22:46.76
fallowfieldmason
Any advice you give people on on pipeline when they're starting a business.
22:52.16
Alex
Yeah I think for us the the product is what I suppose generates and repeat business. So for us that product So it's that service and it's that food and it's that event delivery. So if people are , enjoying the product and you know the menus and they're well balanced and well put together.
23:02.87
fallowfieldmason
.
23:07.80
Alex
And from brilliant suppliers and then you're doing something right? and it's just repeating that I suppose as you're growing It's it's yeah, doing that but on a little bit more scale each time. So it's it's about working with the best suppliers like ah ah points we've had to work with say 2 butchers one because one's. And slightly family one and actually can't handle the scale that we need so we then look at you know so it's about it's about making sure that your you know your supply chain is sensible that they work for your business that you know everything works on them. But in terms of their you know, payment terms to their location through to. You know where there are their reactiveness. You know our suppliers are really reactive actually so we can be really last minute with our orders if an event comes in tomorrow. We could phone the butch and they could deliver something in this afternoon. So there's a nber of things to look at when you're deciding what suppliers to to work with. But ultimately it has to be a real partnership but every.
23:43.90
fallowfieldmason
.
23:57.90
Alex
And every bit of the products has to be refined so that is brilliant and people do come back from more and any conser knows that you know whether it's you know, hair care or something buy the supermarket like you know why? do you go back to that product or service or you know why? Why would you go back and spend money you know.
24:11.98
fallowfieldmason
.
24:13.10
Alex
On something again and it's because you really enjoyed it or it tasted good or is good experience. So ultimately for us that that's what's so important.
24:18.16
fallowfieldmason
Amazing And do you mind me asking have you had now gone after investment in your decade of Social pantry.
24:25.15
Alex
Yes, yes, back in 2019 I secured some investment which was great and.
24:29.84
fallowfieldmason
, and do you think the investors looked at your social enterprise or that's the wrong way saying it sorry looked at what you were doing in terms of and esg and that was favorable to them or were they put off by all the relationships that you're building with your employee pipeline.
24:42.77
Alex
No Definitely favorable. Yeah people often are asked. Is it tricky for women you know, female founders to get investment but the time is right? If You're a female led business and you're doing something sustainably like absolutely now's the time a lot of a lot of people have got a lot of money spend if you're talking to the right. You know to the right to the right Networks I suppose and if you put yeah and a lot of people have that they have quotas that they have to meet in terms of their sustainability investments and their esg investments so it would be it would be brave I'd say to not not have that as bad. But yeah I Asse it made us stand out whether I was because as a female founder as Well. I don't know.
25:01.37
fallowfieldmason
, yeah.
25:06.82
fallowfieldmason
And.
25:19.91
fallowfieldmason
, and did they question you on the prison and crime prevention organizations the partnerships that you have yeah.
25:20.90
Alex
But I think and yes I think people are always quite interested. Yeah for sure like you know at any point is that a risk. But ultimately you mitigate that risk but employing anybody's a risk you know. There's There's no, you know you would you? you could argue that somebody that's you know, spent some time in prison you know is is least like you know it's totally aware of what that route is in that journey that they've come through. But ultimately you've got a lot of support from probation from some charities from the prisons and the mentors. So. It's a whole community that you're within.. It's not just.
25:42.92
fallowfieldmason
.
25:52.83
Alex
Ah, business and in an ex-offender and and just meeting these guys. You know, totally dissipates any you know I I suppose any fear around it actually and and it's really such some of the guys have yeah I suppose had some really tough you know, tough tough start in life.
25:57.29
fallowfieldmason
Yeah.
26:10.00
Alex
And and actually you know you know them coming out and just being given an opportunity is the first opportunity that they've ever had or ever felt you know pod fairness. So ultimately you know they're really not going to resent that much of a risk but that's you know it's the case by case scenario.
26:18.41
fallowfieldmason
.
26:25.90
fallowfieldmason
Absolutely and 1 thing that we do is ah the guest from the previous episode had a question for you and it was if you could have changed your sustained stuffed tongue tied I did remember to take my visor line out for this sometimes this like ah if you could have changed your sustainability path.
26:30.90
Alex
, yeah.
26:41.93
fallowfieldmason
What you've done differently to help others make sure they don't make the same mistakes again and I think you've already answered that So I'll just map that question into the answer that you've already given but is there a question that you'd like to ask for the next guest.
26:54.16
Alex
Yes, oh my goodness I think for me like for me, it's about I mean we do take time now to celebrate the big wins because we're like hey we've got to really embrace this because you know the big wins are great but like so yeah, we've really learnt to celebrate them. But I suppose for me as a founder. I'm often looking at what I didn't get right? and what actually could I improve and and I suppose a question I Always love asking other foundtas is when they're looking back. You know what was you know? what? What do they remember as being like a really I suppose a you know mistake that they've really learned From. I Always find that really Interesting. So across the industries. It can be such a ah variety of you know and it might just be like oh not employing that person soon enough or actually you know I suppose you know saying yes to that really big client that actually you know wasn't at the right price and then not Negotiated. You know there's so much across the board that you're managing as a business owner and it's always fascinating to know what's I suppose What was their biggest learning lesson and well biggest lesson learned and I always found that really interesting looking to you know people at bigger businesses than me I'm always like what didn't you get right? and just may you know.
27:50.91
fallowfieldmason
Yeah.
28:01.51
Alex
Asking You know myself am I doing that have I spent some time thinking about that.
28:03.37
fallowfieldmason
And then flipping it on its head. What would you say is your biggest success so far or what? what's the thing that you're the most proud of.
28:08.32
Alex
Oh gosh pick a success. Oh I think I think social pantry is a brand is really strong and and I really can't take much credit for for I had a brilliant Charlotte actually who's just gone off maternity league but she was really brilliant and actually it was .
28:18.85
fallowfieldmason
, yeah.
28:28.10
Alex
On boarding that marketing support quite early on like we weren't actually in position where we could afford anybody in the marketing team and this is pre-ins instagramm you I started social pantry before Instagram and you know social media. Can you even imagine so it was it's the world totally unknown now. Yeah.
28:40.41
fallowfieldmason
Sounds great.
28:45.33
Alex
Yeah, to be fair take I Just say yeah so I think it was saying like you know her going to be saving me like hey I I really can need I do works and magic with your brand I think actually we'd be quite a good partnership with that So it was probably saying yes to her alllthough say.
28:47.28
fallowfieldmason
Ah, take me back.
29:00.52
Alex
Years ago but I remember when she first started because I wasn't so sure that we really needed marketing support. She had to work and we had to serve one of our contracts for two days a week so she would be her server for two days a week and then marketing support for three days a week but obviously now it's you know fully embedded with but with a big team.
29:13.97
fallowfieldmason
, was she got to know the business. Yeah.
29:18.87
Alex
Exactly from the bottom up and actually now still to this day whenever you join Sepanti they matter regardless of you know, seniority or position. You all do a day in the kitchen and and it's it that yes they they're initially a little bit nervous but actually then love it and come out quite inspired but you know and they yeah.
29:26.76
fallowfieldmason
Oh yeah.
29:34.90
fallowfieldmason
All hands on Deck you really know which now makes me think I'm going to get everyone in the team to edit a podcast because a lot of them are like now I don't think that's for me and my okay I'll keep doing it. But maybe they all need to yeah.
29:38.90
Alex
Oh hands on deck. Yes, yes, yeah, like like 1 of our planners Eliza. She's brilliant and senior planner. She literally would reel out how she'd made like a thousand mini shortbreads like she literally from her mom kitchen day five years ago it's still repeated to any new startish like you know they make them fresh that a thousand. But so it's really good and everyone has their own little story but it's just also to break down in an industry where there's front of house and back of house and office team is just to break down those walls and.
30:00.98
fallowfieldmason
Love it.
30:10.35
fallowfieldmason
.
30:12.56
Alex
You know, no point are our Kitchens shout. They're really nurturing. You know, brilliant places are female heavy and obviously got eggs offenders in so you can't have anything you know that gone are the days of the ramsy Charty Kitchens that's like decades old now and having been in those Kitchens I Absolutely no way was I ever going to have environments like that. But it's really lovely to .
30:23.53
fallowfieldmason
.
30:31.32
Alex
You know for the finance team to have done a day in the kitchen and just that cohesion as well is quite satisfying.
30:33.50
fallowfieldmason
Yeah, is there any last Golden Nugget piece of advice. You'd like to offer a new founder when bedding in sustainability from the start.
30:43.89
Alex
I think just keep learning like get get the right advice and keep yeah, keep learning be dynamic and be flexible with your goals and and you know have moving targets and don't expect to conquer everything immediately that you can't but as long as you're being honest about what you're doing. And and honest with what your challenges are I think that's that's really important and clients and team are really understanding and suppliers are totally understanding if you know if you can't do everything straight away or you know you're just on your journey of learning but educating yourself and your team I'd say is really important.
31:15.18
fallowfieldmason
, yeah.
31:16.68
Alex
That's quite yeah I'd say that's and getting the right advice I have some brilliant people around me that give me the right advice and I'm sure that success is is due to them. Yes, yeah yeah, go with your gut my goodness care your car. Yeah.
31:22.12
fallowfieldmason
Oh yeah, well and the fact that you listen to it and then also I think it's choosing what not to listen to as well I've learned going hang on gut feeling is quite important. , yeah.
31:35.61
Alex
I mean on our sustainability to weekly. So now our consultant like a year ago she came to us and said listen we should take the plastic polluters. They like the nest lays and the Coca-cola of the Sand Pelleginos and the cocaco is out of the cafes and I just was like oh gosh, but you know we were coming out of covered and I was like oh that's just. Currently it just felt like too much of a financial implication actually at that point and although I totally understood. You know the consequences and then actually we revisited six months later and I was like yeah cool I'm totally comfortable with us. You know so it's just saying to at the moment that that you know the implications of that we can't . We can't shoulder. So.
32:05.24
fallowfieldmason
.
32:11.10
Alex
Actually now you know six months later it felt totally right and that was in I think January that we did it but it it felt really, you know it felt rights. We did a little campaign about ditching the brands doing as dirty and we've got some brilliant course and press and you know and dash waters in our cafes that we had anywhere and it's just heroing those british led suppliers that are.
32:27.27
fallowfieldmason
Yeah, doing the right thing.
32:30.27
Alex
Honest brands doing great things. So but yeah, it was totally okay to say actually do you know what? we we can't do that right now. Let's just give it six months and then we we really created something of it when we did. It's such a big decision for us. So it's really highlighting the fact that like hey we are relatively small so but we are we are really making a commitment and.
32:45.19
fallowfieldmason
Well a force for good and a force doesn't need to be a big one. It can just be chipping away at it little by little and it adds up and actually on your goal sorry I'm dog sitting at a friend's house so he has 2 black labs and there's a labrador just deciding to helicopter her ears around I have no idea what bashful is doing but she's doing something weird. So sorry if you can hear that.
32:50.31
Alex
, yeah.
32:54.74
Alex
I would take my.
33:01.14
Alex
Man they they worry.
33:05.11
fallowfieldmason
, but when you've come to set your goals have you got any advice for people. So I'm three years in so very very young in terms of my business and what advice would you give someone like me setting out to set goals. How would you tackle that because it can feel quite overwhelming of like I need to save the world but I don't know how to start.
33:15.96
Alex
Yeah, totally yeah, totally and 1 step at a time I would say every quarter every you know, ah 2 2 goes a year or one every quarter and try and work towards that. 1 big thing is just ah you know I'm sure there's an online sustainability training I know that our team as soon as they join they do they but they do an onboarding of sustainability and it's a really simple question. We also did the other day and online and we and some people went in person to the recycling plant like just understanding. So. Some will go and visit the you know the b corp champagne british champagne suppli and and some are at the recycling plant those different levels of glamour to it all but it's all just as important. So it's I suppose. It's ah you know educating the team and getting them to really understand and then just road mapping out a few goals.
33:50.20
fallowfieldmason
.
34:05.81
Alex
And and it can be so simple like there's some really brilliant , yeah, advice out there on what to do. But I suppose looking at what other you know other companies that are doing that are similar size and what their goals are and and then you know having you know and then you know making year two and 3 relative you know, slightly more ambitious.
34:18.19
fallowfieldmason
.
34:23.59
Alex
And and everything that's within budget or maybe working out what your budget is and then working out. Okay I can spend that on 3 different things and actually what is the most important to us as a company and and it might be a recycling. It might be your emissions. It might be. You know you know it could totally differ like we worked with lots of different venues over London and there.
35:12.59
fallowfieldmason
congratulations on everything you've achieved across all of your different stakeholders. It's incredibly impressive.
35:19.91
Alex
thank you so much for having me. It's really kind really really fab.