The Social Side of Food: strengthening company culture

Welcome back to The Social Side of Food: a monthly series exploring how great workplace catering does more than just feed teams. This time: how shared meals strengthen company culture

At Social Pantry, we believe food has a powerful role to play in shaping workplace culture. In ambitious, high-performing businesses, time is precious and diaries are packed – but making space to eat together can transform how teams collaborate and connect.

This is especially evident in our partnership with a leading venture capital firm in London. Founder owned and driven by purpose, the firm works with some of the world’s most ambitious entrepreneurs. Internally, they are just as intentional about how they support their own team.

In a business where long hours and intense focus are the norm, protecting lunch breaks is essential. “We don’t want people just nipping out to grab a sandwich and eating it at their desks,” says the company’s Chief of Staff, “we want them to step away and refuel both by eating something healthy and filling but also by taking a break with colleagues.”

Lunch isn’t just a meal, it’s a daily ritual that reinforces culture. When the firm moved into its current office, they deliberately chose a space that could accommodate a communal dining room. “We’ve always made a point of eating together, so we made sure there was plenty of dining space,” she continues. “It’s important for cross-team collaboration, sharing ideas and of course for a bit of social chat as well.”

Providing a daily lunch service from Social Pantry five days a week has a significant positive impact. “It’s definitely something that’s hugely appreciated,” she says. “People love the quality and the variety of the food – there’s always a queue at 12.30pm. It’s seen as a real benefit.”

The dining area acts as a social hub where teams naturally mix, as well as being a convenient space to host visitors. “It’s great to be able to host guests and it’s a bonus that we can so easily add them to our lunch service,” the Chief of Staff notes.

Before partnering with Social Pantry, the team had trialled various alternatives. But reliability, quality and consistency were challenges. “Having an in-house catering service is just much more convenient. We know there’ll be enough food, it’ll be ready on time and it will be properly sourced and prepared.”

For this firm, choosing a catering partner with shared values was also a priority. “The provenance of the food, the emphasis on sustainability and even the fact that Social Pantry is independently owned and female-founded – it all really aligns with our values. It was exactly what we were looking for in a workplace catering partner.”