Huge swathes of London’s population are excluded from the opportunities to enjoy the prosperity and pride that should come with being part of the greatest city in the world.
Massive fortunes are created next door to deep-rooted disadvantage that we’ve historically allowed to fester in plain sight for far too long.
Business may have contributed to this state of affairs. But we believe business, when conducted on broader foundations, can also be one of the most powerful tools for changing it.
Through the beautiful medium of exquisite food and drink graciously served in stunning environments, we aim to use ethical hospitality to trigger systemic change.
That’s why we’ve created The Purpose Restaurant Company.
This mission-led enterprise has been created by Iqbal Wahhab OBE. As founder of The Cinnamon Club and Roast, he’s shown his ability to create memorable, lasting and successful dining experiences.
Behind the scenes at Roast in particular, he gave numerous prison leavers successful and meaningful career paths as a way out of re-offending. He also helped create a social enterprise in Croydon which enabled mothers from ethnic minority communities to gain qualifications to become chefs and, in many cases, earn an income for the first time in their lives.
He was also tasked by a Cabinet minister to head a campaign to encourage Indian restaurants to take on apprentices. He successfully hit the target of 50 businesses to do so – an example of what we mean by systemic change; not just doing things ourselves but also sharing how we did it with others.
For eight years he chaired a government body advising ministers on how to reduce ethnic inequalities in the labour market. He stepped down after concluding that businesses were better placed to create a fair society where economically marginalised communities are given the chance to take up dignified work with clear progression routes.
And because opportunity means little without an enduring planet in which to enjoy it, Iqbal serves as Vice President of the Sustainable Restaurant Association as part of our determination to build a net-zero company.
All these learnings and experiences have shaped what comes next.
Over the past few years, we have been talking to a number of of the world’s most accomplished chefs, some of them Michelin-starred.
They share our belief that great restaurants can do more than create sensational dining experiences in full dining rooms.
They can bring people who have too often been left on the outside into the fold — giving them the skills, confidence and opportunity to build lives away from benefits, homelessness or crime, while becoming part of the joy and pride of exceptional hospitality.
During his time away from running restaurants, Iqbal has been on several journeys of discovery: learning new ways of doing things and building collaborations with people and organisations capable of helping us deliver these ambitions with vigour and panache.
Now we’re ready to put those ideas into practice.
Our first restaurant is already in development.
And it will be just the beginning.
If you’d like to know more about The Purpose Restaurant Company, please email iqbal@impact-dining.com.