Tag: Partnership

Seeing Impact in Action: Angel Hill Food Co. Visits Malawi with One Water

Posted on by Kelsie Button

Seeing the Reality Behind Water Access

For Angel Hill Food Co., selling One Water | B Corp™ has always been connected to something bigger than the product itself. It forms part of a wider commitment to supporting access to clean water, sanitation, and long-term community resilience.

Last week, Angel Hill Food Co. Business Director Martyn Stockwin and Operations Director Robert Jessey travelled to Malawi with The One Foundation to see first-hand how water and sanitation programmes are helping strengthen communities across Thyolo and Chikwawa, towns in the southern region of Malawi. The visit formed part of Angel Hill Food Co.’s ambition to sell one million One Water bottles during 2026, helping fund sustainable clean water projects across Africa.

The week began in Blantyre, Malawi’s economic centre, before the team travelled into rural communities where access to safe water remains a daily challenge for many families. According to the World Health Organisation and UNICEF, nearly one in 10 people globally do not have clean water close to their home, affecting around 703 million people worldwide.

Supporting Resilient Water Infrastructure

Throughout the visit, Martyn and Robert met local communities, water committees, trained pump mechanics, and programme teams working to strengthen long-term access to safe water.

While boreholes can transform access to clean water, maintaining reliable access remains a major challenge across rural Malawi. Flooding, climate pressures, overuse, and limited access to repairs can leave community water points out of action for extended periods, forcing families to return to unsafe water sources or travel long distances again to collect water.

In Thyolo District, the visit highlighted the growing impact climate change is having on water infrastructure across southern Malawi. Communities described how flooding and extreme weather continue to damage water sources and increase pressure on already limited resources.

The team visited rehabilitated boreholes designed to withstand flooding, observed pump maintenance and repair work, and learned how local spare parts networks and trained mechanics are helping communities reduce downtime when pumps fail. They also saw how water catchment protection and reforestation projects are helping protect vulnerable water systems from climate-related damage.

Recent studies have shown that only around half of community water points in Malawi are fully functional at any one time, highlighting the importance of long-term maintenance and locally-led support rather than short-term infrastructure alone.

Funds raised through One Water help support projects focused on sustainable water resilience, including borehole rehabilitation, sanitation programmes, local maintenance training, climate resilience initiatives, and environmental protection.

The scale of the challenge remains significant. More than 1,300 children under the age of five die every day because of diseases linked to unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, and poor hygiene, according to the United Nations.

Walking Six Kilometres for Water

The team also joined the Walk for Water initiative, walking six kilometres alongside local communities to reflect the average daily reality many women and girls face when collecting water for their households. Containers carried during these journeys can weigh up to 20 kilograms when full.

For many families, these journeys are completed multiple times each day, often limiting time available for education, childcare, work, and household responsibilities.

Walking the route first-hand provided a deeper understanding of the physical and emotional impact unreliable water access can have on communities when local pumps fail or safe water sources are too far from home.

UNICEF reports that household taps and toilets can save women between two and three hours each day previously spent collecting water and washing clothes at rivers. That time can then support education, childcare, work, and household stability.

Local Knowledge and Long-Term Partnerships

During the visit to the Madzi Alipo pump repair programme in Chikwawa, Martyn and Robert spent time with local mechanics and programme teams learning how community-led maintenance networks are helping keep water systems operational long-term. The programme has repaired more than 3,000 community pumps to date, helping reduce breakdown times and improve reliable access to safe water across rural communities.

The visit also explored the close connection between water access, conservation, and reforestation. Tree planting, riverbank protection, and climate-smart agriculture are helping strengthen environmental resilience while protecting the water systems communities depend on every day.

Seeing the impact of these projects first-hand completely changes your understanding of what access to clean water really means. Communities showed us how reliable water sources, better farming methods, and practical local solutions are improving health, education, and daily life across Malawi. What stayed with me most was the resilience and positivity of the people we met, despite the challenges they face every day.

-Martyn Stockwin, Business Director

The visit to Malawi was incredibly powerful and gave me a much deeper understanding of the challenges many communities face every day accessing clean water and sanitation. It’s changed the way I think about simple things we often take for granted, and reinforced how important it is that we use our role and scale as a business to help drive meaningful, lasting impact.

-Robert Jessey, Operations Director

Turning Scale into Measurable Impact

The visit reinforced the importance of programmes designed for long-term sustainability, combining infrastructure investment with local training, knowledge, maintenance, and environmental protection.

Since 2006, The One Foundation and its partners have helped change the lives of more than five million people through water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes across Africa.

With Angel Hill Food Co. targeting the sale of one million One Water bottles during 2026, the partnership continues to focus on creating measurable, lasting impact for communities most affected by water insecurity.

Supporting Local Culinary Talent from Classroom to Kitchen

Posted on by Andrew Leedham

Angel Hill Food Co. has always had a strong connection to Suffolk. Just a stone’s throw from Angel Hill, where the business was founded, West Suffolk College continues to play an important role in developing the next generation of culinary talent.

That connection came to life recently as two of Angel Hill Food Co.’s Executive Development Chefs, Matthew Vernon and Dan Farrand, visited the college to deliver a hands-on pasta workshop for culinary students preparing to take their next step from education into industry.

Both Matthew and Dan started their own careers at college, giving them a first-hand understanding of what that transition can feel like. Through the workshop, they were able to share not only technical skills, but also practical insight, encouragement and tangible experience from their own journeys into professional kitchens.

The session gave students experience in the techniques, pace and precision of working kitchens, while helping them build confidence as they begin to think about future careers in food.

Bringing Industry Experience into The Classroom

During the workshop, students were guided through the process of making fresh egg pasta from scratch, developing fillings, preparing sauces and bringing finished dishes together with care and creativity.

The recipes included:

  • Mushroom tortellini with carbonara sauce
  • Salmon and tarragon ravioli with white wine sauce
  • Butternut squash and ricotta ravioli with sage beurre noisette
  • Fresh pasta dough, pesto, pangretata and supporting preparation techniques

Each dish gave students the opportunity to develop core culinary skills, from dough making and rolling to filling, shaping, cooking and finishing fresh pasta.

The workshop offered more than a technical cookery session. It created a direct link between the classroom and the working kitchen, helping them understand how the skills they are learning can translate into real careers across the food industry.

From College Foundations to Culinary Careers

Engaging with West Suffolk College reflects a wider commitment to supporting local communities and developing talent at the start of the career journey.

Because Matthew and Dan both began their careers through college, they understand the questions many students face at this stage: what professional kitchens are really like, how to build confidence, how to keep learning, and how to turn classroom skills into career opportunities.

Matthew Vernon, Executive Development Chef at Angel Hill Food Co., said:

Starting out at college gave me the foundation for my career, so being able to return to that environment and support students at the same stage is really meaningful. You remember what it feels like to be learning the basics, asking questions and trying to picture where it could all lead. Workshops like this help students build confidence and see how their skills can develop in a working kitchen. For us, being active in our local community means helping create those moments of connection for the next generation.

Dan Farrand, Executive Development Chef at Angel Hill Food Co., added:

There is real talent coming through local colleges, and sometimes what students need most is a clearer view of what the industry can offer. When chefs share practical knowledge and honest experience, it helps make that next step feel more achievable. Supporting local talent is good for young people, good for communities and important for the future of food.

A Local Connection with Lasting Impact

West Suffolk College sits at the heart of a local area known for food, culture and innovation. For Angel Hill Food Co., returning to that community to support emerging chefs brings the company’s heritage and future together.

That connection between past and future is central to how Angel Hill Food Co. continues to grow. As Henry Watts reflects in his article on reconnecting with our heritage and future, understanding where we have come from helps shape the food experiences, partnerships and opportunities we create next.

The workshop showed how food businesses can play an active role beyond their own kitchens – sharing knowledge, creating opportunity and helping young people see a future for themselves in the industry.

By supporting students at the beginning of their culinary journey, Angel Hill Food Co. is helping develop the confidence, skills and ambition needed to strengthen the next generation of chefs.

Because the future of food is shaped by the people we support today.

Extending Our Partnership with Love British Food for 2025

Posted on by lawrence riches

Angel Hill Food Co. is delighted to announce the renewal of our official partnership with Love British Food for 2025. This ongoing collaboration highlights our dedication to promoting British-grown produce. We are supporting local farming communities, and serving fresh, seasonal menus that celebrate the very best of UK agriculture.

Championing Local Farmers and Sustainable Communities

At Angel Hill Food Co., we believe exceptional meals begin with premium British ingredients sourced from trusted farmers and suppliers nationwide. Supporting British produce not only boosts local employment but also reduces environmental impact and strengthens resilient food systems across the UK.

Our commitment means backing the hardworking farmers who cultivate the fresh, seasonal ingredients featured in our dishes, reflecting the true taste of British soil and community.

Seasonal Ingredients from Farm to Fork

Working hand-in-hand with Love British Food, we showcase the changing seasons through our menus from tender spring asparagus to hearty autumn root vegetables. Our meals focus on flavour, nutrition, and sustainability by cutting food miles and prioritising responsible sourcing.

By embracing local, seasonal produce, Angel Hill Food Co. is proud to reduce our carbon footprint and encourage eco-friendly farming practices in every kitchen we serve.

Celebrating British Food Fortnight 2025

We’re thrilled to confirm our participation in British Food Fortnight 2025, the UK’s premier celebration of British food and farming. This event unites communities nationwide to celebrate local produce and highlight the benefits of eating British.

Building on our successful 2024 activities including educational menus and events in schools — we look forward to expanding our efforts with new creative initiatives and seasonal dishes that spotlight British culinary heritage.

Strengthening Our Shared Vision

Partnering with Love British Food reinforces Angel Hill Food Co.’s passion for delivering fresh, responsibly sourced British food. This collaboration fuels our commitment to quality, sustainability, and supporting local farmers and producers throughout 2025 and beyond.

Great Coffee, Greater Impact: How Angel Hill Food Co. Turns Everyday Choices into Positive Change

Posted on by Andrew Leedham

Great food and drink have always been about more than taste alone. They’re about people, purpose and the impact small, everyday choices can have when they’re made with care. That belief is perfectly reflected in the success of Groundhouse Coffee – a coffee brand that proves doing good can start with something as simple as the morning cup.

Over the past year, Groundhouse Coffee has helped raise more than £10,000 for charitable causes, demonstrating how Angel Hill Food Co. continues to weave social value into the fabric of its food and beverage offer. It’s a powerful reminder that when food is thoughtfully sourced and purposefully served, it can create meaningful change far beyond the counter.

Coffee with a conscience

Groundhouse Coffee was developed as part of Angel Hill Food Co.’s commitment to offering products that align with modern expectations — quality, sustainability and responsibility working hand in hand. From ethically sourced beans to a supply chain designed with transparency in mind, Groundhouse represents a conscious approach to coffee that doesn’t compromise on flavour or experience.

Every cup served across Angel Hill Food Co. sites contributes to wider charitable efforts, turning daily rituals into opportunities for positive impact. Rather than relying on one-off fundraising initiatives, the Groundhouse model embeds giving directly into everyday consumption – ensuring that impact is continuous, not occasional.

As Henry Watts, Managing Director at Angel Hill Food Co., explains:

Groundhouse Coffee shows how everyday choices can make a real difference. By building purpose into a product people enjoy daily, we’re able to create meaningful social impact without asking customers to change their behaviour — just enjoy great coffee.

That philosophy sits at the heart of the Groundhouse approach: doing good shouldn’t feel complicated, forced or separate from the food experience.

Small moments, collective impact

The £10,000 raised through Groundhouse Coffee didn’t come from a single campaign or event. It came from thousands of individual decisions – people choosing a coffee during a break, between meetings or at the start of their day. Collectively, those moments added up to something far more powerful.

For Angel Hill Food Co., that collective impact is central to the brand’s philosophy. Food and drink are touchpoints that connect people throughout the day, and when those touchpoints are designed with purpose, they become vehicles for change.

By embedding charitable giving into a core product, Angel Hill Food Co. ensures that doing good is effortless for customers. There’s no additional action required – just a great cup of coffee that happens to give back.

Supporting communities through food

Social value is not an add-on for Angel Hill Food Co.; it’s an integral part of how the business operates. Groundhouse Coffee sits alongside wider initiatives focused on sustainability, nutrition and community support, reinforcing a holistic approach to responsible catering.

The funds raised through Groundhouse have supported causes aligned with Angel Hill Food Co.’s values, helping communities and individuals in meaningful ways. While the coffee itself is the visible product, the real impact is felt in the lives supported behind the scenes.

This aligns closely with the wider mission of Angel Hill Food Co. – to deliver food that not only tastes good, but does good too. Whether through reducing environmental impact, supporting local suppliers or embedding charitable contributions into everyday menus, the focus remains on long-term, meaningful outcomes.

Purpose built into the plate – and the cup

What makes Groundhouse Coffee particularly powerful is its simplicity. There’s no grand gesture or complicated mechanism. Instead, it reflects a belief that purpose works best when it’s seamlessly integrated into everyday life.

For Angel Hill Food Co., this is the future of workplace catering – where quality, convenience and conscience coexist naturally. Customers don’t have to choose between enjoying great food and supporting positive change; they can do both, effortlessly.

As Groundhouse Coffee continues to grow across Angel Hill Food Co. locations, its impact will grow with it – one cup at a time. And while £10,000 is a significant milestone, it’s also just the beginning.

Because at Angel Hill Food Co., every choice matters – and even the smallest moments can help create a better, more sustainable future.