Located in Hindhead, Surrey, just a short walk from Stepping Stones School is our social enterprise café, The Cookie Bar.
In October 2011, we celebrated its official opening and since then it has played an important part in the students’ education, offering work experience opportunities as well as reinvesting 100% of profits into the school and our other projects all over the world. In addition to the café, which offers; a range of savoury dishes, desserts and a selection of cold and hot beverages, the Cookie Bar has also expanded in the form of a converted double decker routemaster bus, a mobile version that takes their products to local events and festivals. We’re delighted to announce a new line of products added to The Cookie Bar and a new partnership with a company who share our values and are dedicated to using business as a force for good, COOK.
Originally starting as a family business selling frozen cakes, COOK’s growth into savoury meals and an increased selection of dessert dishes has been huge and their products are now available in 80 of their own shops as well as being stocked in over 300 retailers around the country. Their aim is as follows:
“To COOK using the same ingredients and techniques you would use at home, so everything looks and tastes homemade.”
The delicious quality of the products initially caught our attention but the values and beliefs that are demonstrated by COOK is what secured the partnership. Prioritising the people who are part of, or associated with their company is a strong consideration, as is minimising food waste, improving efficiency and supporting social enterprise businesses.
“We believe actions speak louder than words: people will choose our food because of what we do, not what we say.”
The values-led company resonated well with COINS Foundation and as a result, earlier this year we took delivery of our first order of COOK products in The Cookie Bar. As part of their commitment to using business as a force for good, a stock price was agreed to ensure that a sufficient profit is attained to reinvest into our projects. This means that The Cookie Bar can offer its customers a delicious range of products knowing that their purchase is still making a difference to our charity partners both in the UK and overseas. The partnership is based on our concept of ‘using business as a force for good.’ We have a responsibility to work with and support companies whose values are aligned with ours to enable them to be successful, which in turn, will support future investment into our projects too.
Dishes currently available at the Cookie Bar feature a combination of vegetarian and meat dishes, including; Macaroni Cheese, Portobello Mushroom Risotto, Roasted Vegetable Lasagne, Chicken Korma and Chicken Tikka Masala. With COOK offering a selection of both savoury meals and desserts, there is the potential to increase the products offered based on in-store demand. In the near future, we hope to be able expand into offering COOK products to our staff at our COINS Slough office to increase the reach of customers beyond the Cookie Bar in Hindhead, making it accessible to a larger market.
If you’re looking for delicious meals that are quick and easy to make then look no further because not only will it make your life easier, but you’ll be improving the lives of others too.
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