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Social Pantry has reported a 75% year-on-year reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in its 2025–26 Impact Report, published as the independent catering and events company marks its 15th anniversary year.
The report sets out progress across environmental sustainability, responsible sourcing and employment opportunities for prison leavers, alongside a series of targets for 2026–27.
Social Pantry has also appointed Jessie Broadway as Sustainability Manager, marking the first time the role has been held by an in-house member of staff rather than supported through an external consultancy.
Broadway is working alongside Founder and CEO Alex Head and the company’s senior leadership team to develop and implement its sustainability strategy.
Social Pantry said improvements to its data and reporting systems are giving the business greater visibility of its environmental performance and allowing progress to be monitored continuously.
Among the new tools being introduced is Orbisk, an AI-powered food waste monitoring system which identifies and weighs discarded food in real time, providing ingredient-level data to kitchen teams.
Carbon labelling is also being integrated into menu development to help customers identify lower-impact dishes, while all new suppliers are required to sign Social Pantry’s Supplier Code of Conduct.
The company reported emissions intensity of 96.57 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per £1 million of revenue, compared with 194.06 tonnes in 2023–24.
Water monitoring is being introduced across its events and workplace kitchens, while a new sourcing policy is due to be implemented across the business.
Social Pantry has also continued to develop its Opportunity Network, which connects employers and organisations with the aim of creating additional employment and training opportunities for prison leavers.
Targets for 2026–27 include ensuring menus collectively achieve a C rating or lower through the My Emissions carbon footprint tool, equivalent to less than 4.25kg CO2e per kg of food.
The company also aims to fully embed its new sourcing policy by the end of the 2027 financial year and map 100% of high-risk ingredients to approved suppliers by the end of 2027.
Other commitments include detailed food waste measurement at every event, covering preparation, spoilage and post-service waste, and moving to 100% renewable electricity by the end of 2026.
Social Pantry is targeting 100% zero-carbon light commercial vehicles, including hire vehicles, by 2028, alongside developing a measurable plan to reduce water intensity.
The company also intends to continue increasing the number of prison leavers it employs and the hours they work, while bringing more suppliers into the Opportunity Network.
Alex Head, CEO and Founder of Social Pantry, said: “As the business has grown, so has our understanding of what success looks like. We measure success not only by the events we create but by what we leave behind. That means creating opportunities through employment, building a workplace where people can thrive and continually reducing the environmental impact of the business.
“This year has been an important step in that journey. Working alongside Jessie to develop our sustainability strategy has helped turn ambition into action, giving us a clearer understanding of where we are today, where we need to improve and how we will measure our progress in the years ahead.”
Jessie Broadway said: “Social Pantry has always cared deeply about where our food comes from, the people we work with and the impact our business has. This strategy builds on those foundations. Significant improvements to our data and systems now give us much better visibility of our performance and allow us to monitor it continuously – giving us a stronger basis for making decisions, measuring progress and driving further change.
“There are no quick fixes, but there are countless practical decisions that, taken together, can make a lasting difference. For us, sustainability is about making better decisions every day. The ingredients we buy. The suppliers we work with. The waste we prevent. The opportunities we create. By measuring our impact and continually improving the way we operate, we can ensure our ambitions are matched by meaningful action.”
Associated Articles
Social Pantry Launches The Opportunity Network
Social Pantry launched The Opportunity Network to bring employers and organisations together and encourage more businesses to provide employment and training opportunities for prison leavers.
Social Pantry Achieves B Corp Certification
Social Pantry achieved B Corp certification in 2024 in recognition of its social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
Social Pantry Announces New City of London Corporation Contract Wins
Social Pantry secured catering partnerships with Mansion House and the Central Criminal Court as it continued to expand its venue portfolio while applying its sustainability-led approach.
Social Pantry announce new City of London corporation contract wins
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