Social Pantry appoints new non-executive chairman

Social Pantry, a leading sustainable events and workplace caterer, has recently announced the appointment of James Spragg as new non-executive chairman.

Spragg will work closely with CEO and founder, Alex Head, to accelerate the growth of the business, whilst maintaining its core values across sustainability and ex-offender hiring. 

He joins with over 25 years of experience working with public and private equity companies across the hospitality sector. 

Prior to joining Social Pantry, Spragg completed a six-year stint at Casual Dining Group, serving as CEO from 2019 to 2021, where he oversaw 250 UK restaurants including Bella Italia, Café Rouge, and Las Iguanas. In 2018, he also joined premium pub-restaurant group, Cambscuisine, where he’s served as non-executive chairman since 2021. 

Regarding his appointment Spragg said: “I am delighted to join such a progressive company that is growing fast. Social Pantry is at an exciting point in its growth journey, with plans to achieve its B-Corp accreditation and a partnership with Olio now under its belt. I look forward to working together to deliver on its next phase of development”. 

The new appointment comes as Social Pantry’s purpose-led and luxury offering gathers momentum.  Just last month, the company also launched a new partnership with leading food waste app Olio, to redistribute surplus food from workplace catering to local communities and introduced a fleet of electric vehicles to support a reduction in their carbon footprint. 

Alex Head, CEO and founder of Social Pantry, said: “With a background growing some of the UK’s leading restaurants and hospitality brands, James is uniquely placed to take Social Pantry to the next level. I could not be happier to begin working with him and look forward to unleashing exciting growth across our event and workplace catering.”