Meet our 2025 alumni

Our first Cook for Change cohort graduated in November 2025, having dramatically improved their business models along the way. From diversifying their income streams and opening new premises to hiring additional staff, here’s an insight into what the programme helped them achieve.

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I am blown away that in such a short space of time, there's been such a transformational change in these businesses.

Felicity Mallam, Wates Family Enterprise Trust

Our 2025 cohort

Thomas Alexander

Kitchen Manager, Headway East London

Alexandra Camplin

Food Services Manager, Shores Community Diner

Anna Chadsey

Co-founder, Nourished Futures

Brian Cummings

Project Manager, Borough Food Cooperative

Adedepo Dalley

Founder, Events Meets World

Clare Donovan

Founder and CEO, Cooking Champions

Milly Fyfe

Founder, No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents

Trin Gong

Founder, London Asian Eats

Valerie Goode

Funding CEO, Coco Collective

Sistah Stella Headley

CEO and Co-founder, RMUK Wellbeing

Gina Lely

Founder, Hanoi Cà Phê

Kemi Madumere

Co-founder, Camouflage Café

Leanna-Merrisha Morris

CEO and Co-founder, Pristine Eats

Helen Mullings

Founder and MD, Nourished Routes

Dimitra Tzigianni

Founder, Greek Mama’s Bakehouse

Ingrid Wakeling

Co-founder and Head Chef, Sussex Surplus

Rebecca Wieckowska

Founder, Cook with Kasper

Harriet Wilson

Operations Manager, Arc

What changed for our cohort?

By the end of the programme, our 2025 Cook for Change cohort had outperformed even our high expectations. You can see our full impact report here and read case studies from five of our cohort: Borough Food Cooperative, Cooking Champions, Cook with Kasper, No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents and Nourished Routes.

The impact in numbers

100%

had put together business plans, some completely from scratch.

70%

had developed a new product or service, and 40% had started piloting them with a new client or market.

60%

had recruited new staff, creating local jobs in their ventures.

50%

had expanded the numbers of beneficiaries they can support.

30%

had started delivering their services from new or expanded community venues within housing associations.

30%

were already seeing an increase in revenue from pre-programme.

100%

reported an increase in skills and confidence around their capability as social entrepreneurs.

It’s been incredible. Bringing together social entrepreneurs from all around the country and sharing our journey and overcoming our hurdles together has been brilliant.

Milly Fyfe, No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents

The biggest thing that's changed is my belief in myself and my identification as a social entrepreneur.

Adedepo Dalley, Events Meets World

I’ve gained focus, thanks to really structured support, to provide the best use of my time and the limited resources that we've got as a charity, and it's really, really helped.

Clare Donovan, Cooking Champions

I have developed some partnerships that I wouldn’t ever have thought of exploring. And working with the rest of the cohort has been transformational; new ideas have been sparked by just a word that somebody has said.

Helen Mullings, Nourished Roots