Enterprise Trustee

What will you be doing?

As Enterprise Trustee, you will play a strategic role in helping Plateful Café expand its commercial activities and develop new business opportunities.

Working closely with fellow Trustees, staff and volunteers, you will:

• Chair or support a new Enterprise & Operations Sub-Committee focused on sustainable growth
• Help shape and deliver a commercial strategy that diversifies income streams
• Provide insight into hospitality, catering, food service, events, or customer operations
• Support the development of our corporate catering offer across the SE1 and Central London business community
• Open doors to new partnerships, clients, venues and commercial opportunities
• Advise on customer development, market research and business planning
• Identify opportunities for retail stockists, markets, events and new sales channels
• Support the development of employment pathways and industry connections for programme participants
• Contribute to the overall governance and long-term sustainability of the charity

What are we looking for?

Essential:

• Senior experience in hospitality, catering, food service, events, retail, or commercial operations
• A track record of growing businesses, developing partnerships, or generating income
• Strong networking and relationship-building skills
• Experience leading teams, projects or operational functions
• Commercial awareness and strategic thinking
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• A commitment to social impact and creating opportunities for others

Particularly Valuable Experience:

• Corporate catering or B2B hospitality sales
• Business development and customer acquisition
• Social enterprise or start-up growth
• Venue management, events or food retail
• Building partnerships with employers and industry networks
• Experience working within South-East London communities

Why Join Us?

• Use your professional expertise to create meaningful social impact
• Help shape the future of an ambitious and growing social enterprise
• Expand your network across the charity, hospitality and social enterprise sectors
• Work alongside a passionate and diverse team
• Support refugees and asylum seekers to develop skills, confidence and employment opportunities

What difference will you make?

Are you a senior professional in hospitality, catering, food service, events, or commercial operations? Do you enjoy growing businesses, building partnerships, and developing new income streams?

This is an exciting opportunity to apply your industry expertise to a purpose-driven organisation that supports refugees through hospitality training, employment pathways, catering services, and community engagement

Based at Blackfriars Settlement in SE1, Plateful Café delivers an eight-week Introduction to Hospitality programme for refugees and asylum seekers, alongside external catering services, community dining events, pop-ups, festivals, and an online shop featuring food products and crafts made by programme participants.

As demand for our catering and corporate offer continues to grow, we are looking for a Trustee who can help us strengthen our commercial operations and build a sustainable income model that supports our long-term social impact.

Before you apply

Please submit your CV and cover letter.

Our HR team will be in touch within a week to arrange an interview. If successful, you will have a further meeting to discuss your role and motivation with our founder.