London’s distinctive charity-led restaurant will get a makeover

When Optimistic Information visited House Kitchen final 12 months, the Primrose Hill restaurant was already doing one thing uncommon. On the face of it, this was a cultured north London eating room serving scallop ceviche, guinea fowl and monkfish from the previous dwelling of long-standing restaurant Odette’s. Behind the scenes, nonetheless, it was making an attempt to show that tremendous eating may open up new routes into work for individuals who had skilled homelessness.

Now the venture has entered its subsequent chapter. House Kitchen Diner has relaunched as 130 Primrose, turn out to be a registered UK charity, and appointed Monica Galetti, the chef, broadcaster and MasterChef decide, as its govt chef and a trustee.

The restaurant, based mostly at 130 Regent’s Park Street in Primrose Hill, opens on 8 Could with a brand new title, a brand new menu and the identical central mission: to recruit, prepare and make use of folks with lived expertise of homelessness, providing paid work, accredited coaching and a stepping stone into long-term hospitality careers.

Seating 50 covers, 130 Primrose might be open seven days per week from 9am, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a relaxed, brasserie-style setting, with extra street-side seating. Its à la carte menu will draw on Mediterranean influences, with touches of Galetti’s Samoan heritage to be launched later. At lunchtime, sandwiches and salads can even be obtainable, whereas evenings will function an extra charcuterie and cheese providing. A speakeasy-style cocktail bar is about to open on the decrease floor ground later subsequent month.

Galetti, who can also be an everyday volunteer at Soup Kitchen London, will form the restaurant’s meals and coaching provide, whereas head chef Eric Zhang will lead the kitchen full time.

“I’ve seen first-hand how, with the best assist, folks can rediscover hope, dignity and function via alternatives like this,” stated Galetti.

“That’s why I didn’t hesitate once I was requested to assist form the culinary way forward for this unimaginable venture. My first job is to create an thrilling new menu that draws clients to assist our mission – celebrating one of the best British seasonal substances with just a little twist of enjoyable.

“Later, I’ll weave in touches of my Samoan heritage, giving our trainees a novel growth alternative and serving to them to face out once they transfer on of their profession in hospitality.”

The restaurant first opened in 2024 as a social enterprise and operated for a 12 months till August 2025, working with referral companions together with Disaster, Beam, The Massive Difficulty, Soup Kitchen London, Solely A Pavement Away and the Past Meals Basis. Its first cohort included jail leavers, refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine, folks in dependancy restoration and others affected by homelessness.

Every worker at 130 Primrose might be provided a six-month contract as a part of the front-of-house or kitchen group, with the chance to finish {qualifications} together with meals hygiene and allergen consciousness certifications. As soon as they full their time on the restaurant, they are going to be supported into additional alternatives inside hospitality.

I’ve seen first-hand how, with the best assist, folks can rediscover hope, dignity and function via alternatives like this

The earlier incarnation of the venture employed 16 folks affected by homelessness, 5 of whom moved into everlasting roles elsewhere in hospitality. The group behind 130 Primrose regard that as successful, however not the restrict of what the mannequin can obtain.

“Too typically, folks going through homelessness are excluded from work and written off by society – seen just for their circumstances, not their potential,” stated Michael Brown, co-founder and trustee.

“On the identical time, the hospitality business, amongst many different challenges, faces a scarcity of dedicated, certified employees. We’ve began to shut each gaps, to show that expertise can flourish anyplace and alter perceptions. However we should do extra. We should construct on what we’ve discovered and scale as much as present extra alternatives for extra individuals who want them.”

The title 130 Primrose is meant to sign that shift. Whereas it takes its cue from the restaurant’s handle, it additionally attracts on the Latin phrase prima rosa, an emblem of spring and new beginnings. The charity says the title displays its goal to foster renewal, confidence and lasting alternative.

That sense of renewal is clearest within the tales of people that have already handed via the restaurant. Ade, a father of three and enterprise graduate who had skilled avenue homelessness and hostel residing, joined the kitchen group in August 2024. He has since moved into full-time employment with Soup Kitchen London and has maintained 18 months of steady work.

Seb, a jail leaver who was launched into homelessness, found a expertise for cooking via the venture. After becoming a member of the primary cohort, he went on to work on the Megaro Resort underneath Michelin-starred chef Adam Simmonds, who was House Kitchen’s first govt chef.

We’ve began to shut each gaps, to show that expertise can flourish anyplace and alter perceptions

“These are folks with a unprecedented life expertise doing extraordinary issues with the best assist,” stated Brown. “Employment brings dignity, belonging, and a future.”

The charity is now recruiting candidates via referrals from its companion organisations and says its longer-term ambition is to develop the mannequin to cities throughout the UK. It hopes to turn out to be a recognised pipeline of expert, numerous expertise for the hospitality business, whereas serving to to reshape perceptions of homelessness.

The problem now might be to show that the idea can preserve working not solely as a robust social intervention, however as a restaurant that individuals wish to return to for the meals. Galetti’s arrival ought to assistance on that entrance, although it can be crucial that the story doesn’t turn out to be solely a couple of well-known chef lending her title to trigger. The actual take a look at might be whether or not diners come for the meals and go away with a unique understanding of homelessness, work and what folks can do when given the prospect.

As Optimistic Information reported final 12 months, the restaurant was by no means merely about charity. It was about requirements, confidence, coaching and the assumption that service can work each methods: visitors are fed, and people serving them are given the prospect to rebuild careers, routines and futures.

At 130 Primrose, that recipe is being refined. The brand new menu could be the hook, however the larger providing remains to be alternative.

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