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Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Over 309,000 people in England are considered homeless right now, including 140,000 children, according to Shelter – that’s a 14 per cent jump in a single year.
With the cost of living soaring and support avenues stretched, many of those affected feel they have nowhere to turn, whether they’re newly released from prison, sofa surfing, living in hostels or estranged from family and friends.
Having no fixed address or even a criminal record makes it difficult to become a functioning part of society again, but now a new London enterprise is breaking down barriers to help marginalised groups get a second chance at rebuilding their lives.
Home Kitchen, a new-fine dining restaurant located in Primrose Hill (on the old site of Odette’s), and the first of its kind in the UK, is staffed entirely by socially vulnerable people.
Headed up by Michelin-starred chef Adam Simmonds, the restaurant opened its doors in September 2024, and employs 15 people currently considered homeless.
Not only does the not-for-profit offer them above London Living Wage and a travel card to get to and from work, but also a catering qualification to help kickstart their new futures.
Despite working in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world throughout his career (Simmonds is still the chef patron at The Megaro when he’s not at Home Kitchen), he admits this venture has been his most fulfilling – and not just because of the impact on the employees it helps.
“I’m an addict – I haven’t been on the streets, but I was close to being on the streets”, he tells us. “Because my family took me in I was okay. A lot of these guys and girls don’t have that.”
He adds: “People look at those on the streets from the outside, not the inside, and don’t understand why they’re there… a lot of them don’t want to be in that situation.”
Simmonds admits that having worked in intense environments like The Ritz, Le Gavroche and L’Escargot means that he’ll have to adjust the way he works in order to cater to the needs of Home Kitchen. Many of the staff have never worked in restaurants before.
His opening menu includes both tasting and à la carte options influenced by the changing seasons, with succulent lamb belly, 72-hour sourdough and egg custard tart all gracing the first edition.
“For me, the mackerel’s the standout dish,” Simmonds says. “It’s all about the flavours and the simplicity of the dish.”
On a visit to the restaurant on its launch day, we also met some of the staff members, who are currently homeless but have big dreams of starting their own restaurants and bakeries.
One of those was Paul, who recently left prison, and has since struggled to find his place in society, with many businesses not being as welcoming to those with criminal history.
“Coming out into a new world you don’t think society’s going to accept you, everyone puts a label on you… you want the person to see you and not where you’ve come from,” he tells us.
“I can’t keep bringing up the past, it’s done and dusted. This [Home Kitchen] has changed my life.”
Having graduated the Change Please Barista Training Programme and Beyond Food Foundation’s Fresh Life Training Programme, Simmonds and his team saw potential in Paul’s skills.
On his time at Home Kitchen so far, where he’s now training to be a chef, he adds: “It’s refreshing being here, everyone’s got different backgrounds, it’s nice to have a different path you can go down.
“If you make a mistake you don’t get reprimanded, you learn so much.”
His message to other businesses? “You need to give people a second chance… a third chance, even. If there’s potential in that person everyone deserves it – if they mess it up that’s down to them.”
But this isn’t the end. Home Kitchen’s website suggests Brighton and San Francisco locations could be coming soon, as the chef eyes up big plans for the venture.
“It’s all about being able to see the staff we employ grow and flourish,” Simmonds says, cementing his hopes that the current employees will go on to lead Home Kitchen’s future restaurants. “I’m just a tool to help them get to where they want to get to… and then the world is their oyster.”
Home Kitchen is now taking reservations
