Giving people an extra shot at life: in conversation with Change Please
If you didn’t know already, we have a wholesale service, supplying cafes and businesses with the freshest sourdough breads and pastries. The service is managed by our Proofers, developing their IT and customer service skills.
Ashkir, one of our Proofers visited our partners Change Please and chatted with one of their managers Georgia about all things coffee, cakes and how social enterprises are creating change.
Ashkir outside Change Please in east London
Ashkir: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Georgia: I've been an employee for Change Please for about two and a half years. I started off as a mentor, training up all my trainees across different sites and preparing them for working life. Last year I became manager and now I run three sites.
Ashkir: What does Change Please do?
Georgia: We run a three month barista training programme for people experiencing homelessness. Mentees develop their coffee expertise, their customer service, the way they handle issues and problems. Then, we find them permanent jobs and hopefully keep in touch so we get to see them again. We've actually had a couple of people come back and be mentors, which is really cool. So now I get to work with my trainees.
Ashkir: What made you want to work for a social enterprise?
Georgia: Mainly because I've always had a passion for helping people. When I found Change Please, it opened up a whole bunch of opportunities to work with loads of different people and to really get to know how social enterprises work. It’s moulded me as a person as well as helping other people at the same time. So really it’s a win-win situation!
“It’s amazing to be able to sell a really great quality product with such a beautiful meaning behind it”
Ashkir: What do you like working with Change Please?
Georgia: For sure it’s the people that you meet and the people you work with. It's not just an average coffee company. The whole working culture here is just completely different. It's all very humane. You enjoy your job. I love to wake up and come to work. I love to see my trainees progress. I love to see my employees really happy in their jobs. It gave me a purpose more than anything.
Ashkir: Why did you want to partner with us?
We absolutely love the fact that you're also a social enterprise. It’s two enterprises coming together to support each other, and ever since it's been a beautiful relationship.
“I always make sure I’ve got extra almond croissants because they just go!”
Ashkir: What’s the best things about working with us?
Georgia: The customers absolutely adore your pastries. That's one thing that I'm mega happy with. We always get comments on the quality and size of the pastries. They’re massive!
Grab ‘em while they’re there! The almond croissants go quickly
Ashkir: What do you enjoy the most about working with Breadwinners?
Georgia: The fact that you guys work with refugees, you train and give all these people a chance of a second life. It’s amazing to be able to sell a really great quality product with such a beautiful meaning behind it. Plus it gets everyone talking about social enterprises.
Ashkir: What’s the most popular pastry amongst customers?
Georgia: The almond croissants. I think they're everyone's favourite! They sell so fast. I always make sure I've got extra almond croissants because they just go!
Ashkir: What's your favourite pastry?
Georgia: The almond croissant as well! I've had them warmed up. I've had them toasted. I've had them with extra almonds. I’m team almond.
Ashkir: What’s your favourite coffee?
Georgia: Ooh this is a difficult one! It's gonna be between the flat white, the stronger the better for me, and a caramel iced latte for sure.
Thank you Georgia and the Change Please team for supporting young refugees in their first job in the UK.
Own a cafe or restaurant, or want to order fresh pastries to the office? Get in touch! Email Hussam at hussam@breadwinners.org.uk to arrange your free sample.