Open Hatch Group

Aim

To build mobile food units that create income, skills and routes into independence for people facing barriers to work.

My name is Warren King, and Open Hatch and Kitchen Foundry have grown out of my own experiences of trying to find a different direction in life.

I became involved in crime while I was still young and spent time in prison before I had any clear sense of where my life was going. Prison became a turning point for me. Since then, I have graduated from LSE with a degree in Sociology, worked in justice reform and used my experiences to support conversations about employment, rehabilitation and the barriers people face after prison.

One thing I have learned is that talent and motivation are not always enough. You can want to change your life and still have no money to invest, no equipment, no business contacts and nobody willing to give you a proper chance. Many people are encouraged to complete courses or apply for jobs, but they are rarely given something practical that they can take responsibility for and grow.

That is where this idea came from.

Open Hatch will create mobile kitchens that can trade at markets, events, private functions and community spaces. Kitchen Foundry will use those kitchens to provide paid experience, mentoring and routes towards employment or self-employment for people who have been locked out of traditional opportunities.

Food made sense to me because the work is immediate. You prepare something, serve a customer and receive direct feedback. You learn how to manage stock, communicate with people, work under pressure, handle money and maintain standards. Over time, those daily responsibilities can help somebody develop the confidence and experience needed to move forward.

My ambition is to begin with one trailer and grow this into a fleet of mobile units. Some will generate commercial income through catering and events. Others could be sponsored by businesses or organisations that want their funding to create a visible and measurable outcome. Eventually, I want people to be able to progress from training and paid work towards managing a unit or starting something of their own.

The money raised will help me get the first kitchen trading. It will go towards the trailer, conversion materials, cooking and preparation equipment, power, insurance, branding, food safety requirements, stock and the costs involved in launching properly.

I have already put a great deal of work into the business plan, branding, structure and financial model. The next stage is getting the first unit onto the road and proving what it can do.

It is my ambition to help people develop the tools needed for autonomy: a place to start, a way to earn and the chance to take control of what comes next.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 23rd October 2026 at 4:40pm