The Purpose-Driven Entrepreneur Tackling Food Poverty in London
He's been called a "culinary visionary" and the "nation's sweetest Sugar Daddy." But beyond the witty monikers, Greg Wixted is a force to be reckoned with in the world of purpose-driven business. As the founder of Tastes Good Does Good Group, he's proving that social impact and business success can go hand in hand.
Tayla Rachman sat down with Greg Wixted to discuss his journey, his innovative business model, and his ambitious vision for the future.
Q: What inspired you to start Tastes Good Does Good Group?
GW: I've always believed that businesses have a responsibility to make a difference. When the pandemic hit, I was deeply troubled by its devastating impact on communities and the alarming rise of food insecurity. Did you know that in London alone, 1.5 million people, including 1 in 6 children, struggle to access enough food? I knew I had to be part of the solution. That's when I decided to build a business that not only created delicious food experiences but also gave back in a meaningful way.
Q: Your business model is quite unique. Can you tell us more about it?
GW: It's about creating a sustainable ecosystem of positive change. We dedicate 15% of our revenue to fighting food poverty by supporting food charities and incubating new food businesses. We then gift up to 75% ownership of these businesses to aspiring entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds, empowering them to build their own success while contributing to a greater purpose. It's about breaking the cycle of poverty and creating a more equitable food system.
Q: You've achieved a lot in a short time. What are you most proud of?
GW: I'm incredibly proud of the impact we've made in just 28 months. We've donated over 4 tonnes of food and £16k of equipment. We've created five businesses, all with growing revenue. We're an AQA-certifying training center and have served over 23,000 customers at 350 truly memorable events. We've saved 1090kg of food waste from landfill, gained our Good Business Charter accreditation and Living Wage Foundation accreditation, and saved our customers £105,000 in hire charges as part of our customer promise.
But beyond the numbers, it's the stories of the people we've helped that truly matter. Meeting young chefs who believe in our purpose and want to build a better future for themselves and their families is incredibly rewarding. And knowing that we're contributing to a larger movement towards addressing food insecurity is truly humbling.
Q: Do you consider yourself a catalyst for global change?
GW: While I wouldn't call myself a catalyst for global change, I'd like to think I've inspired others to think beyond profit and embrace a purpose-driven approach to business. I believe I've created an innovative and sustainable business model that can be a powerful catalyst for change. With each new business and entrepreneur nurtured through this model, the movement gains momentum, amplifying its impact on communities and the world. I would love to inspire large, global food brands to adopt a similar purpose-driven approach. I believe this would be the tipping point for real, lasting change in the fight against food inequality, creating a world where everyone has access to nutritious food and opportunities to thrive.
Q: You're also passionate about education. Tell us about the new training centre you're setting up.
GW: Sharing my knowledge and experience with aspiring entrepreneurs is something I'm truly passionate about. I've been a lecturer at the University of North Carolina since 2018 and have used that experience, along with our mission at Britain Loves Baking, to develop the training center. Our mission is to arm the nation's kids living in poverty with the skills to bake for free and to teach kids more about where their food comes from.
But how could we teach 4.3 million kids to bake? That's when we came up with the idea to provide free professional bakery courses to teachers, youth workers, community leaders, youth leaders, and food charity volunteers so they could teach kids to bake. We will also fund free community, church, and after-school-based baking clubs. This is part of our holistic approach to social impact. For me, true success lies in scaling this and creating a positive ripple effect that benefits local communities, the nation, and the world.
Q: You've done a lot in a short space of time – what were the biggest challenges you faced or are facing?
GW: The three biggest challenges we faced were skepticism about my motives, finding the right partners, and getting advice and support. Many questioned why any business would want to give so much away. "No one sets up a business to give it all away," they'd say. But that's not true. You only have to look at Patagonia, which has become a shining example of a purpose-driven company, proving that prioritizing social and environmental responsibility can go hand-in-hand with business success.
We spent a lot of time asking ourselves if we were doing this the right way, until we were offered support from the amazing team at the Selby Trust, who are helping us with our structure, setting the foundations for scaling the idea, and providing grants to help us do this.
Q: What do you think the answer to food poverty is?
GW: More collective responsibility and a much bigger effort from everyone in the food industry. I believe we have a shared responsibility, and I think that if you want to start or are operating a food company, you should be mandated to make a scaled contribution of up to 1% of revenue to ending food insecurity and poverty. This creates a system where fighting hunger becomes a core part of doing business in the food industry and would have a huge impact and benefits, including:
- Massive and sustainable funding: to create an ever-increasing pool of funds dedicated to addressing food poverty. As the food industry grows, so would the contributions, ensuring a sustainable flow of resources.
- Universal participation: Requiring every food company to contribute creates a sense of shared responsibility across the industry, from small local businesses to multinational corporations.
- Incentive for growth: Linking contributions to company growth could incentivize companies to expand their operations and innovate, knowing that their success would also contribute to fighting hunger.
- Focus on prevention: With a steady stream of funding, the focus could shift from solely addressing immediate needs to investing in long-term solutions and preventative measures in sustainable agriculture, economic development, and education and empowerment.
But to make this work, we need to change the influence of shareholders over corporate decision-making. In many publicly traded companies, the pressure to maximize shareholder value often takes precedence over other considerations. There would need to be a shift in focus from solely maximizing shareholder value to a more holistic approach that considers the interests of all stakeholders, from employees and consumers to communities and the planet.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
GW: Find your passion, identify a need, and build a business that makes a difference. Don't be afraid to take risks, learn from your mistakes, and surround yourself with a great team. And most importantly, never lose sight of your purpose and put processes in place that ensure that the business never loses sight of its purpose and obligations. That is my biggest fear—what will happen when I am gone?