Ethical sandwich shop chain set to make a difference in Aberdeen
A not-for-profit sandwich shop chain that provides food, support and employment to homeless people plans to open a new branch in Aberdeen early next year.
Social Bite launched in Edinburgh two years ago and has since expanded to Glasgow.
The social enterprise provides food to homeless people with its suspended coffee scheme, which provides customers the opportunity to pre-purchase food and drinks for homeless people to come in and claim later on in the day.
Social Bite’s staffing policy ensures that one in four of its employees comes from a homeless background and it donates 100% of its profits to charities from Scotland and across the world.
Now the Scottish couple who founded the organisation – Josh Littlejohn, 28, and 24- year-old Alice Thomson – have revealed they plan to expand north.
The most meaningful way we affect the lives of homeless people is by employing people from that background
Josh said: “It’s really important for us to expand up to Aberdeen and Dundee, as we’re trying to get into every major city in Scotland.
“Another aspect is that in Aberdeen especially there’s a vast amount of inequality and we’re hoping to make a real difference.
“A lot of people live in such a bubble in the oil industry, but there’s a lot of poverty in Aberdeen. We want to give the chance for one or two people to break the cycle and get a job.
“I think the most meaningful way we affect the lives of homeless people is by employing people from that background, which is quite a rare thing.
“There are lots of charities that treat people that are in need of help, but one of the unique things that we do is understand that homeless people aren’t by their nature charity cases, they can actually help themselves if you give them a little hand up.
“We’re looking at about three units all across Union Street, so we’re hoping to open for sure in early 2015, around January or February.
“We’ve got a good relationship with the Cyrenians and Shelter already, so we’re looking to partner up with them as much as we can as well.”
