Hospitality for our Community: The passionate people-focused backbone of our city 

From food poverty and fundraising to shared spaces, skills and staff time, Bristol’s hospitality sector is proving that giving back doesn’t have to mean big budgets. Find out how passionate people and independent businesses are coming together to strengthen the communities around them – and why collaboration could be the key to a more resilient city.  

On a rainy Tuesday morning at the end of a scorching summer, Jiknoi, the East African restaurant currently based at Creative Youth Network welcomed a room filled with Bristol’s leading lights in hospitality and community-centred organisations.  As part of the Bristol BID and Bristol Food Network’s event series ‘Hospitality for the Future’ this third gathering explored how hospitality organisations across the city are independently and collectively supporting the communities they operate within. 

With Josh Eggleton from the Pony Group and Team Canteen, Kari Halford from Bristol Beer Factory and Jodie Smith from Heart of BS13, on the panel, they shared stories of their collective partnership work and the individual successes and challenges when it comes to supporting communities. The main themes came to the surface were: 

• All organisations can make big difference, even on limited resources and budgets 

• Authenticity is key – intention and understanding matters 

• Collaboration and partnership are central to success 

Kari Halford, the Head of People and Community at Bristol Beer Factory (BBF) kickstarted the panel discussion with a bold and passionate call to arms, explaining why looking after their community had become such a foundational part of the Bristol Beer Factory’s business model.  Bristol Beer Factory has embedded 2% of its profit annually into community investment, alongside consideration of whether suppliers and partners share its values. At the heart of this approach is a simple principle: if you have the ability to help, you should. 

Josh Eggleton, founder of the Pony Group and part of the collective behind Team Canteen, shared his longstanding commitment to investing in the community around him. With the Pony turning 20 this year, Josh reflected that initially he wasn’t thinking about community when he first started out, but “the more you do, the more you want to do and see the need that is required.” 

Now, 20 years on Josh spends up to 50% of time working on community projects, after being inspired by volunteering on Christmas Day with Caring in Bristol. Josh’s dedication to investing in communities quickly snowballed to him running Caring in Bristol, which then led to the formation of Team Canteen, the team of likeminded people and organisations across Bristol dedicated to feeding the community.   

The panel identified that not every hospitality organisation will have access to the same resources, and contributions don’t always need to be in the form of large financial donations. Examples of other ways to support communities  include donating space, food, beer (produce) staff time, equipment, expertise and sharing fundraising opportunities and ideas. Identifying that small collaborations can have a very tangible local impact. 

Jodie Smith, Health Improvement Manager and Deputy CEO of Heart of BS13, the community organisation supporting Hartcliffe and Withywood in South Bristol, shared a story of fruitful collaboration between community and the hospitality sector. Aiming to raise £10,000 for a food initiative, Jodie reached out to Josh, who loaned her the use of the Pony Bistro for free to run a kitchen takeover, helping them to achieve their goal.  

From a community point of view, Jodie explained that Heart of BS13 has had the privilege of working with many great hospitality organisations over the years, including Better Food,  BaxterStorey and Harts Bakery. However, currently with the pressure of surging operational costs and high tax burdens on the hospitality industry it’s a more difficult time now to ask for support, and grants are becoming increasingly scarce. Jodie has found that engaging with people in a creative way can lead to deeper relationships and tangible outcomes when hospitality businesses and community organisations join forces.  

The food landscape in Bristol is often described as a tale of two cities, given the high levels of food poverty and food deserts across the city – some areas are in the lowest 2.5% in the country. It is something that needs addressing at a systemic level, but it is nonetheless still important to see the impact made by the dedicated, creative and passionate independent hospitality sector.  

In a continuation of the hard work taking place across the city, Kari announced the launch of We Back Bristol. A brand-new charitable initiative set up by Bristol Beer Factory, Team Canteen, Left-Handed Giant and a number of other Bristol businesses. Launched on Saturday 6 September, We Back Bristol is a collective of independent businesses backing local charities and community groups with cash, assets and time. 

Kari explained that it’s so hard to do this on your own when you already feel like you’re on a hamster wheel, but that We Back Bristol is there to help business give back, regularly and supported by organisations throughout the city.  

When opening out the questions to the room, the topics focused on how to bring in more multi-national chain businesses and showcase the communities who need more support from high-net-worth individuals.  

Participants also asked how to connect the work between hospitality businesses supporting communities and the communities who need the support the most – is there a role for organisations such as Feeding Bristol, Bristol Food Network and the Bristol BID in this space too?  

We all sat down together to share some delicious food courtesy of Jikoni, which helped the conversation continue flowing, ideas to be brewed, and connections to be deepened. 

The next event in the series is Tuesday 17 November, focusing on shorter supply chains and procurement for local hospitality businesses, with a specific focus on the impacts of climate change on the way we eat.  Sign up here.  

To stay updated on future events, job opportunities and news, don’t forget to sign up for the Bristol Good Food Update at bristolgoodfood.org/newsletter.   

All photos by Julian Preece Photography.