Social Bite

What Social Bite does

Social Bite is a UK-registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) and social enterprise founded in 2012 in Edinburgh by Josh Littlejohn MBE and Alice Thompson. The organisation addresses homelessness through three integrated programme pillars — food, homes, and jobs — operating four coffee shops in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and London that function simultaneously as retail outlets, employment sites for the Jobs First programme, and distribution hubs for the customer-powered Pay It Forward free food service (255,000+ items distributed annually).

The Homes pillar comprises the Social Bite Village model of supported accommodation built around modular Nest Houses and community hubs, currently operational in Edinburgh and South Lanarkshire (Harriet Gardens, opened April 2026) with Dundee planned, and the Housing First Pathfinder programme founded by Social Bite, which has housed 579 people with 88% one-year tenancy retention and has been adopted as Scottish national policy. The Jobs pillar is the 15-month trauma-informed Jobs First employment programme, independently validated to deliver £3 of social value per £1 invested and £53,000 of economic benefit per person employed.

Revenue is generated through coffee shop sales, Pay It Forward donations, corporate partnerships (notably Mitchells & Butlers, Coutts, BaxterStorey, Matthew Algie, Scotmid), major fundraising events (Sleep in the Park, Festival of Kindness, Break the Cycle, Gleneagles Gala), grants (including up to £4m from the Scottish Government for Housing First), and home/office delivery. The organisation operates through a parent charity (Social Bite Fund, SC045232) and a wholly owned trading subsidiary (Social Bite Ltd, SC424001), and is led by a team of 101-250 staff under a Chief Executive of Social Bite Scotland, a Commercial and Operations Director, and a Head of Service.

Name

Social Bite

Legal name

Social Bite Fund

Website

https://social-bite.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Social Bite is a UK homelessness charity and social enterprise, founded 2012 in Edinburgh, operating four coffee shops, a Social Bite Village supported accommodation model, the Housing First Pathfinder programme, and the Jobs First employment programme to deliver food, homes, and jobs to people affected by homelessness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness Charity Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food Services (62421), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Homelessness charity services
• Social enterprise cafes
• Supported accommodation villages
• Employment support programmes
• Community fundraising campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Coffee Shop Sales: Social enterprise coffee shops in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and London generate revenue from food and beverage sales. All profits are reinvested into the mission of ending homelessness.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate partnerships, and community fundraising events including Sleep in the Park, Break the Cycle, Festival of Kindness, and the Gleneagles Gala and British Business Awards.
3. Pay It Forward Programme: Customers at coffee shops and restaurants voluntarily add extra to their purchase to fund free meals for homeless individuals. Powers daily free food services.
4. Home and Office Delivery: Coffee and food delivery service to homes and offices, generating revenue while maintaining social mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Social Bite is a UK homelessness charity and social enterprise that delivers an integrated portfolio of food, homes, and jobs programmes. It operates social enterprise coffee shops in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and London, runs supported accommodation villages with modular Nest Houses, and delivers the Jobs First trauma-informed employment programme and Housing First Pathfinder, all funded through coffee sales, donations, and corporate partnerships.

Product overview

Social Bite is a homelessness charity and social enterprise operating a unified portfolio of food, homes, and jobs programmes united under the Social Bite brand. The core offerings include Social Bite Coffee Shops (social enterprise cafes in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and London offering employment and free food), Social Bite Villages (supported accommodation with Nest Houses and community hubs in Edinburgh, South Lanarkshire, and Dundee), the Jobs First employment programme (15-month supported employment), Housing First Pathfinder (permanent housing initiative), Free Food Services (daily meal provision), and various fundraising campaigns including Festival of Kindness, Sleep in the Park, Break the Cycle, and 100 Mile Challenge. All programmes are interconnected: coffee shops provide employment and fund free food services, which engage people who may need housing or job support; Villages provide accommodation with wraparound care; and Jobs First creates employment pathways. The Pay It Forward system connects customer donations directly to free food provision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jobs First: Employment support programme that helps people affected by homelessness access meaningful, lasting employment with 15-month trauma-informed support.
• Social Bite Village
• Festival of Kindness
• Sleep in the Park

Products and services

• Social Bite Coffee Shops
• Social Bite Villages
• Jobs First Programme
• Housing First Pathfinder
• Free Food Service
• Pay It Forward

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of Housing First Pathfinder participants kept their tenancy over the first year
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Coutts and BaxterStoreycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Long-term partnership enabling launch of Social Bite's first London coffee shop on The Strand, Westminster in March 2022.
• The Connection at St Martin'scoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022London charity partner helping distribute Pay It Forward meal vouchers to people experiencing homelessness in Westminster.
• The PassagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022London charity partner receiving Social Bite cafe vouchers to support Community Intervention Team outreach and engagement with rough sleepers.
• Mitchells & ButlersflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Long-term transformational partnership beginning with pay-it-forward campaign in 2020, growing into UK-wide movement supporting food, jobs and homes. Nearly £3 million raised, 39 people supported into employment, 50,000+ colleagues engaged across 1,700 venues in 300+ communities.
• Malala FundflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2019Key partner in World's Big Sleep Out international expansion, supporting thousands of homeless and displaced people globally.
• UNICEF USAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2019Partner in World's Big Sleep Out campaign to raise critical funds and awareness for displacement.
• Institute of Global HomelessnessflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2019Partner in World's Big Sleep Out with goal of ensuring everyone has a safe place to call home.
• Vesta RestaurantcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Edinburgh restaurant (formerly Home) continuing Social Bite ethos with training opportunities, weekly meal service, and Pay Forward meals. David Hall operating partnership with Social Bite Restaurants Ltd.
• Corra FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Managing funds for Housing First Pathfinder on behalf of Scottish Government and Social Bite.
• Homeless Network ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Coordinates Housing First Pathfinder delivery across five cities in Scotland.
• Turning Point ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Provides expert training in new model of supporting vulnerable people for Housing First Pathfinder.
• The Gleneagles HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts annual Gleneagles Gala charity event for Social Bite for four years, with charity auction proceeds going directly to Social Bite's work.
• CyreniansflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdinburgh charity running day-to-day operations of Social Bite Village in Granton, providing intensive support services and community building through the hub.
• The Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages day-to-day operations of Harriet Gardens (South Lanarkshire Village), providing supported accommodation and therapeutic support.
• Ecosystems TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish firm manufacturing modular Nest Houses for Social Bite Villages.
• ScotmidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding the new hub building at South Lanarkshire Village, supporting communities through this partnership.
• Wheatley GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading housing provider for Housing First Pathfinder, committed 200+ homes to the programme.
• Just EatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner for meal appeal fundraising campaigns, generously extended support into February.
• itisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for Festival of Kindness, with 64,936 vouchers purchased to fund ongoing food provision.
• MackiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated over 37,000 items (hats, gloves, scarves, warm clothes) valued at over £1.5M for Festival of Kindness and Ukrainian communities.
• Matthew AlgiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee supplier for Glasgow location providing organic, fairtrade triple certified beans and Barista training.
• Dean Gassabi / Maison BleueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal partner in Social Bite restaurant (Home) opened September 2016, later transitioned to Vesta.

Scale indicators37 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centrepoint: UK charity focused on youth homelessness, providing accommodation, health support, and employment programmes. Comparable in operating supported housing and employment pathways, though its beneficiary focus is narrower (young people).
• Shelter: UK-wide housing and homelessness charity providing advice, advocacy, and supported housing. Comparable as a homelessness-focused charity with national policy influence, though Shelter's model is more advice/advocacy-led versus Social Bite's direct-service model.
• Crisis UK: Major UK national homelessness charity delivering housing, employment, and education programmes. Most comparable as a multi-programme homelessness organisation pursuing systemic Housing First adoption, though larger and more established than Social Bite.
• Change Please: UK social enterprise coffee company that trains and employs people affected by homelessness and reinvests profits into the mission. Closely comparable as a coffee-led social enterprise employing homeless individuals — a near-direct business-model peer.
• St Mungo's: London-headquartered homelessness charity operating supported housing, recovery, and employment services. Comparable in delivering housing and employment pathways, with deeper London operational focus versus Social Bite's Scotland base.
• Emmaus UK: UK federation of homelessness charities operating communal supported accommodation ('communities') and social enterprises where residents ('companions') work and live. Comparable in operating supported housing combined with a working social enterprise element.
• The Big Issue: Iconic UK social enterprise providing income opportunities for people affected by homelessness through magazine sales and related services. Comparable as a long-established social enterprise brand addressing homelessness via a commercial channel.
• Redemption Roasters: UK coffee roaster and cafe operator that trains and employs people affected by homelessness or those leaving prison. Directly comparable coffee-led social enterprise with similar employment and training outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• Pret Foundation (Pret a Manger): Foundation arm of major UK sandwich chain running programmes that recruit and support people affected by homelessness into employment. Comparable on the jobs-for-homeless pillar, though embedded within a much larger commercial hospitality business.

Others

• Too Good To Go: Social-impact food waste app connecting consumers with surplus food from restaurants and cafes. Not a direct competitor, but operates adjacent UK food-waste and social-mission territory relevant to Social Bite's free food distribution model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/socialbitebusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/socialbite-
• Instagraminstagram.com/social_bite
• Xx.com/SocialBite_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Social Bite