Social Bite launches brownie delivery service to help homeless people

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[size=32]Social Bite launches brownie delivery service to help homeless people[/size]
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By Brian Donnelly  @BrianDonnellyHTBusiness Correspondent








Social Bite has launched a new food delivery service to help grow its social enterprise business and help more people affected by homelessness in Scotland.
It has launched a new brownie product for online purchase and home delivery.
Social Bite is also encouraging businesses to say thank you to their home-working staff by sending a brownie treat.
So far it has signed up companies including Microsoft and Deloitte.
Social Bite co-founder Josh Littlejohn said "our world kind of came crashing down on us, we effectively had to close the cafes overnight, our corporate catering business ground to a halt".
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Mr Littlejohn said: “It is a pleasure to be announcing some good news today as we officially launch our new brownie delivery service.
“Like many hospitality businesses, the Covid-19 pandemic put the future of our organisation into great uncertainty. Our biggest concern is for the homeless and vulnerable people that we support on a daily basis who are the worst affected.

“Our teams have worked so hard to produce and deliver food and supplies to those in need, processing 6,000 emergency packs a day at the peak of the crisis.
"Now they will be adding the production of 200 boxes of brownies a week to their remit to bring a smile to people’s faces in what continues to be a challenging time for all."
He said: "By purchasing these brownies, you will be helping us to grow our offering, create more jobs within our enterprise and continue to support our charitable work.”
READ MORE: Social Bite secures funding for pandemic response
He says whether given as a gift or bought as a treat customers will be doing good with every purchase of Social Bite’s “Boxes of Joy” brownies as 100% of the proceeds made will be going towards the organisation’s effort to end homelessness.
Boxes filled with four brownies in a variety of flavours can be purchased directly from Social Bite online for £12 per box, with vegan and gluten free options available and UK-wide delivery.
As a social enterprise business, Social Bite exists to achieve social objectives and is driven by a cause, rather than profit.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Box of four
It is hoped that the new food delivery service will help to sustain its enterprise model and support more people into jobs to help break the cycle of homelessness.
One in three members of Social Bite staff have experienced homelessness as an extreme barrier to employment.
The organisation is aiming to sell its first 1,000 boxes of brownies, made in the Social Bite kitchen in Livingston, West Lothian, by the end of October to get them on their way.
When customers buy brownies online, they will also be given the option to "pay it forward" so Social Bite can distribute brownies to people experiencing homelessness on its free food handouts.

Social Bite was launched by Josh Littlejohn and Alice Thompson and runs a chain of five social enterprise cafes in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, a Social Bite Delivery business which employs and supports people affected by homelessness, as well as Vesta Bar & Kitchen in Edinburgh.
Like many other organisations, Social Bite has had to re-purpose as a result of the global pandemic and earlier this year began delivering free emergency food and essential packs to those people most in need. Over 500,000 free emergency food packs have been distributed and continue to leave the central kitchen daily.
In just eight years, Social Bite has expanded to five venues across Scotland. Celebrity endorsement from the likes of George Clooney, Leonardo Di Caprio, Will Smith and Dame Helen Mirren have helped to raise the profile of Social Bite and its worldwide mass sleep out events.
It has also created a movement which in turn has funded programmes designed to break the cycle of homelessness, including the Social Bite village and Housing First.
Mr Littlejohn is recognised as one of the UK’s leading social entrepreneurs and has raised over £15m for charity and homelessness causes at the age of just 34.

I saw this. Don't remember George supporting this (but goldfish memory here!). Those brownies look absolutely yummy!

You were probably in sunnier climes, Katie! Do you miss them?

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It's probably on here somewhere - apologies. He went on to talk at a philanthropic event

I remember this. It seems they may have expanded their locations since then, though I may be wrong about that. I'm not surprised they're still carrying on with their outreach programs. It would be great if more businesses operated on their business model of social responsibility.

If they shipped those brownies to the US I'd order a bunch. They look delicious!