Social Pantry, the London-based operator and events caterer, has revealed its growth plans having secured £1.1m from Edition Capital. Founded in 2011 by Alex Head, Social Pantry will use the funds to open sites, expand its events business and further its social reform campaigns. Since founding Social Pantry, Head has worked directly with London prisons and charities that “connect with the values of the business”, including offering job opportunities to ex-offenders, assisting with their rehabilitation and equipping them with the skills to succeed. Head is also an ambassador for charity Key4Life, which rehabilitates young offenders, while Social Pantry also works with Bad Boys Bakery, a social enterprise inside HM Prison Brixton, and Switchback, a London-based rehabilitation charity. Currently, 10% of Social Pantry’s workforce is made up of former offenders.

Social Pantry plans to open sites in addition to the seven it currently operates in London. Head said: “This investment will allow us to further realise our ambitions in terms of growing the business to reach new markets and helping more people turn their lives around through work opportunities in the hospitality industry.”