What I’ve Learnt Since Receiving a King’s Award for Enterprise
Published on: May 13, 2026
Last year, The King’s Award for Enterprise was one of the proudest moments of my career. To have Social Pantry recognised for our work supporting prison leavers into employment felt incredibly special – not just for me, but for every person who has been part of our journey over the past decade.
At the time, I spoke about the importance of creating opportunities and removing barriers to employment. One year on, what I’ve learnt is that the award itself was never the finish line – it was a catalyst.
It has opened up bigger conversations, introduced us to new partners, and reinforced something I’ve believed since starting Social Pantry from my kitchen table in 2011: businesses have a responsibility to create positive impact, not just profit.
Over the last year, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what actually changes lives. Often, it’s not grand gestures. It’s someone deciding to give another person a chance.
Employment gives people structure, confidence, independence and purpose. For prison leavers in particular, having access to meaningful work can be transformational – not only for the individual, but for families, communities and society as a whole.
At Social Pantry, we’ve now spent more than ten years working alongside charities, prisons, employment leads and individuals leaving the justice system. What I’ve learnt is that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not always equally distributed. Sometimes people simply need somebody to look beyond their past and see their potential.
Hospitality is uniquely placed to create opportunity. It’s an industry built on people, teamwork, creativity and resilience – qualities that can’t always be measured on a CV.
One of the biggest lessons over the last year has been seeing how many businesses genuinely want to make a difference but don’t necessarily know where to start. Since receiving the award, I’ve had countless conversations with leaders across hospitality and beyond who are interested in employing prison leavers but are nervous about the process, the practicalities or the perceived risks. The reality is that with the right support structures in place, it can be hugely positive for both employer and employee.
At Social Pantry, we’ve learnt that successful rehabilitation doesn’t happen through employment alone. It requires mentorship, patience, flexibility and understanding. Sometimes support means helping somebody set up a bank account or secure housing before they can even begin work. Sometimes it’s simply creating an environment where people feel respected and valued.
One of the most important things to come from the last year has been the launch of The Opportunity Network – a community designed to bring together businesses that believe in the power of opportunity and social impact. The idea came from a simple realisation: we can create far greater change together than we can alone.
Over the past decade, Social Pantry has learnt a huge amount through both successes and challenges. We wanted to create a space where organisations could share advice, best practice and honest conversations about employing and supporting prison leavers.
The response has been incredibly encouraging. There is real appetite from businesses to think differently about recruitment and to understand how they can create more inclusive pathways into work.
For me, The Opportunity Network represents the next stage of the journey – moving from individual impact to collective impact.
Another thing I’ve learnt over the past year is the importance of visibility.
When we first started talking publicly about employing prison leavers, it felt unusual within hospitality. Today, the conversation is growing. More businesses are sharing their experiences, more leaders are speaking openly about second chances, and more people are challenging outdated stigma. That visibility matters because it normalises opportunity.
If even one business decides to offer a work placement, mentoring scheme or employment pathway because they’ve seen what’s possible, then sharing our story is worthwhile.
Winning a King’s Award was an incredible honour, but it certainly didn’t mean we had all the answers. If anything, it reinforced how much work there is still to do.
At Social Pantry, we continue to learn every day – from our team, from our partners and from individuals with lived experience. We continue to evolve how we support people, how we build pathways into employment and how we use our platform responsibly.
What remains unchanged is the belief that hospitality can be about more than serving great food. It can create connection, dignity, confidence and opportunity.
That belief has shaped Social Pantry since day one, and one year on from receiving a King’s Award for Enterprise, it feels more important than ever.
Ultimately, creating impact isn’t about a single award or moment of recognition. It’s about showing up consistently, continuing the work, and helping open doors for people who deserve the chance to walk through them.
