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My journey began with a law degree at Oxford, followed by a career as a criminal barrister in London. For years, I worked on legal aid cases in London and was seconded for 2 years to the government, contributing to law reform projects. I enjoyed the intellectual challenge, but over time, the sheen of courtroom drama faded.
We have a good criminal justice system – one of the best in some respects. All the same I repeatedly saw the same patterns—clients trapped in a revolving door of the criminal justice system. Courtrooms filled with young Black men from disadvantaged backgrounds facing largely aging white judges and lawyers from privileged upbringings. Things are improving in terms of diversity of both the professions and the judiciary, but whilst I was in practice the contrast remained stark. While the court process consumed vast resources, there was much less resource in the system to address the root causes of criminal behavior: poverty, lack of education, and community disconnection.
The system seemed focused on performance rather than prevention, and change from within felt almost impossible. Even during my government secondment, I saw the limits of policy reform and was frustrated by the slowness of making any real impact and the vulnerability of reform programmes to being derailed by short term changes in political direction (my relatively short time in Whitehall saw me outlast 5 justice secretaries).
Around this time, I met my wife, Amy, who shared my growing sense that we needed to move closer to the grassroots. Together with her sister, Tess, who had a strong entrepreneurial streak, we wanted to build something impactful, sustainable, and grounded in our values —a business, not charity, felt like the right vehicle. Charities do incredible work, but we wanted our relationship with ex prisoners to be based on the dignity and purposefulness of employment. Transactions around earning an honest day’s living in a shared endeavour.
Hospitality, we decided, was a perfect fit. It’s sociable, inclusive, and welcoming—everything the criminal justice system isn’t. We could create a business that directly employed people with lived experience of the justice system while fostering community. In 2015, we moved to Oxford- with many pubs closing Oxford offered room for a more innovative artisan beer scene, and we saw an opportunity to create a craft brewery with purpose.
Incorporated in 2016, our business began as a microbrewery and taproom in Botley, in a large industrial space close to the city. We sourced a second-hand microbrewery, signed a five-year lease, and brought on our first few team members including a man on day release from Spring Hill Prison. He even spoke at our launch event, embodying our vision of inclusive employment.
Initially our taproom was cold and dark, but gradually, it became a community hub. Live music, a compelling story, and good beer created an alchemy that drew people in. By offering something unique—a combination of great products and social purpose—we built a loyal local customer base.
As demand grew, so did our ambitions. Brewing operations moved to Kennington, freeing up the Botley site to become a hospitality-focused venue. Over the years, we expanded further: opening a bakery in Kennington, stalls in the Covered Market and Lock 29 in Banbury, and eventually moving our brewery to Kidlington. Today, we have five sites, and our team has grown from three founders and two employees to about 50 people.
From the start, we’ve committed to employing people with lived experience of prison, making up about one-third of our workforce. We’ve broadened this to include refugees and people with neurodiversity. Employment has a transformative power—it builds confidence, stability, and a sense of belonging. Combining hospitality, wholesale, and retail—has helped us stay agile and resilient through Covid and cost of living crises.
Scaling a social enterprise like ours isn’t easy. Although we’ve had positive conversations with large private companies like PricewaterhouseCoopers to public institutions like the Universities and Councils, the reality of procurement processes often creates insurmountable barriers. Supply chain audits, bureaucracy, and logistical systems designed for multinationals make it nearly impossible for small businesses like ours to break through.
We’ve found more success working with independent pubs, restaurants, and cafes, especially through local networks like the Oxford Brewers Alliance and Independent Oxfordshire. Larger players, such as global brewers and national pub chains, might express interest in our story, but the realities of the tied pub system make collaboration too complicated to pursue.
One of our priorities is maintaining our mission as we grow. Angel investors and social impact funds could play a crucial role, provided we can protect our mission.
We’ve seen examples of social enterprises like Toast Brewing, which tackles surplus food waste, and Tony's Chocolonely, focused on combating slavery, where larger corporations have acquired significant stakes while ensuring the mission is preserved as the businesses scale up.
We also see ourselves as part of a broader campaigning and advocacy movement. I chair the prison employment board at Bullingdon Prison. Such boards were initially a project initiated by James Timpson who is now Minister for Prisons. I am part of the Oxford Inclusive Economy Partnership, and work well with the City Council, and the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner. These collaborations aim to create pathways for people leaving prison to access meaningful employment.
But systemic change requires more than goodwill. Our challenge is that many policymakers and businesses are hesitant to back initiatives that could be perceived by the media or the public as “soft on crime.” This fear stifles progress, even though evidence shows that employment is one of the most effective ways to reduce reoffending and make communities safer.
We have had some frustration in our efforts to play a constructive part in new developments. We need councils to find ways to use their powers and responsibilities to favour community wealth over extractive corporate profit. We need community engagement plans up front and approval conditions with clear impact measures, planning powers with teeth which hold developers to account.
From major infrastructure projects like the Botley Road Development to new ventures such as the Oxford Football Stadium, housing developments, or shopping centers, planning processes have the potential to foster greater substantive equity. By prioritising and facilitating early partnerships with small local businesses and community groups, and by mandating actionable accountability targets, these processes could create a more inclusive and equitable foundation for growth.
Flexible Funding and investment Models
Most grants for small businesses are tied to capital projects and require matched funding, which can strain cash flow. What we need, like many small businesses, is flexible funding and investment to support operations and growth.
Inclusive Procurement Policies
Public institutions and large developers should commit to clear, enforceable social value targets. This means holding contracted organisations accountable for clear measurable actions. You could support community wealth by requiring a percentage of their supply chain to come from local, independent businesses (closely defined, if not specifically listed, in contractual documentation).
Planning and community development
Let’s not hide behind bureaucracy and compliance processes which always favour huge organisations (as the only ones with the dedicated resources to circumvent those processes). We need a social value framework, and planning requirements and approvals with conditions and teeth, also supported by section 106 and CIL funding. Developers must be required to ensure a net flow of resources and measurable benefits to local independent businesses and community groups for at least the first 3 years of any new development
This case study is part of the 'Community wealth building: big conversations' project. These case studies are in the voice of the people who gave them. They seek to honestly present their successes, as well as the challenges of trying to build a more just, sustainable economy and community. We encourage conversation - so if you want to get in touch and talk more to any of the groups, please do.
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