Lending a Creative Hand to Blend Kitchen Social Enterprise

19th April 2021

fenti marketing are delighted to offer their creative design services to support one of Sheffield’s most inspirational social enterprises, Blend Kitchen.

Calling on the local business community for support is the best way for a not-for-profit enterprise to realise it’s dreams, so we’re very proud to be able to lend a helping hand! When it comes to creative design, we’ve got their back.

Giving Pride and Purpose to Sheffield’s Most Vulnerable

Blend Kitchen is an ambitious not-for-profit, social enterprise due to open a new restaurant on 14^th April, situated on Ecclesall Road. Blend Kitchen delivers hospitality training and paid work experience to vulnerable adults and marginalised groups in Sheffield.

To understand the significance of what Blend Kitchen achieves, here are a few words from Blend Kitchen’s outstanding team:

“I feel alive when I’m working. I can’t believe how wonderful working at Blend Kitchen is, I love it!”

Steve, lifelong mental health patient.

“The flexibility and support Blend Kitchen have provided has given me opportunities I’d never find anywhere else.”

Rachel, single mum.

“Blend Kitchen has given me something positive and fulfilling to do with my time and a brilliant group of friends.”

Jeremy, former rough sleeper.

A New Restaurant for Sheffield Food Lovers

To begin making ambition a reality, the social enterprise recognised the need to make a bold statement in Sheffield. Blend Kitchen has expanded from their first eatery on Pinstone Street, to a second premises in one of the city’s most popular foodie havens, Ecclesall Road.

With the help of enormously generosity from Twinkl and other local businesses, Blend Kitchen will open its doors on 14th April to reveal a glamorous new restaurant occupying the spacious ground floor of Twinkl’s HQ in Ward’s Exchange.

The award-winning design team have included everything a modern restaurant could need. Blend Kitchen is fully wheelchair accessible, includes hearing loops, is autism and Alzheimer’s friendly, features a private meeting room and events space, a video conferencing and screening suite, and a fully inclusive live music, spoken word and theatrical events and art exhibitions space.

The Spirit of a Community in a Restaurant

The Blend Kitchen food ethos centres on locally sourced, seasonally influenced, and globally inspired. With a focus on local suppliers and seasonal produce, Blend Kitchen offers deliciously imaginative and healthy dishes for Sheffield’s flourishing foodie culture to enjoy, inspired by the travels of founder and Chef, Chris Hanson.

Since its inception, the Blend Kitchen team have worked tirelessly behind the scenes in their new restaurant preparing to open their doors, training staff, and most importantly, experimenting with new culinary styes and flavours for Sheffield food lovers to tuck into.

“What’s important with all of the food we’ll be serving at Blend Kitchen is that it enables our trainees to develop skills resulting in us serving incredible food to our customers,” says Chris Hanson, founder of Blend Kitchen. “Great restaurants aren’t about serving food you’d prepare at home, they’re about serving food and providing service that gives you an incredible experience.”

Big Plans for Blend Kitchen’s Future

The social enterprise has already seen a massive scale-up as part of the expansion to its new restaurant premises – estimated to triple its social impact - but that really is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the ambitions of this team.

Blend Kitchen plans to open a further 5 restaurants by 2025, replicating the model established in Sheffield and supporting the need to provide accessible training and work for everyone in every community.

“We’re excited to be supporting Blend Kitchen with our creative design services – fenti designers are passionate about using their skills to assist social causes and very keen to help,” says Mark Shipley, Managing Director at fenti marketing. “The Blend Kitchen team can rely on us to deliver whatever they need, whether it be new menu designs, social media assets, or email marketing, we’re only too happy to help!”