Feeding the community: Amsterdam food companies driving social change

Dignita

Dignita has several cafés in Amsterdam serving delicious food driven by the motto ‘Eat well, do good.’ This is reflected in its sourcing of mainly local and organic ingredients and in its collaboration with Not for Sale, an organisation that provides certified training programmes to victims of human trafficking, which is part of Dignita’s social enterprise model. These initiatives aim to support marginalised individuals in their journey towards reintegration into the workforce and society.

Brownies&downieS

The first Brownies&downieS branch opened in 2010 with a mission to offer ‘the best’ brownies while delivering service from employees with Down Syndrome. They have now grown into a nationally popular formula of successful lunch cafés with 59 branches throughout the Netherlands and 1250 colleagues.

Brouwerij de Prael

The Brouwerij de Prael is a brewery with two locations in Amsterdam, both staffed by people who’ve previously faced difficulties in accessing employment. De Prael Amsterdam is affiliated with the Social Capital company, which stems from two complementary social enterprises: Happy Tosti and Milieuwerk. The collective goal is to foster an inclusive labour market by innovatively supporting individuals with visible or invisible disabilities in securing paid employment.

Restaurant Freud

Beyond satisfying appetites, at Restaurant Freud the food is prepared and served by psychologically vulnerable people – as a recognised apprenticeship company, Freud provides counselling and training that supports them in finding their way back into work. Restaurant Freud, with support from Roads, mentors up to 70 individuals weekly helping them to re-enter the workforce.

Taste Before You Waste

Taste Before You Waste tackles food waste while feeding the community by rescuing surplus food from local vendors and partners via bikes in local areas. Volunteers then use this surplus food to prepare vegan meals for the community, promoting sustainability and combating food waste. Their mission is to help create a global shift towards sustainable consumption, where every individual is empowered to make waste-free choices.

Boeren voor Buren ensures that households with limited financial means have access to affordable, locally sourced, and organic or rescued vegetables, fruits, and herbs. This is accomplished by facilitating partnerships between local farmers, suppliers, social food initiatives, and families in need. The focus is on products that may have slight visual imperfections but maintain their excellent taste, i.e. the so-called “ugly veg”.

De Groene Kans Atelier

Collaboration is key at De Groene Kans Atelier as they gather every Wednesday in the Rivierenbuurt area to distribute excess vegetables, fruit, and bread that remain fresh but are no longer sold. Using a garden party vibe for the community meet, they also address the pressing issue of food waste by connecting community to surplus produce.

Baking Lab Amsterdam

The Baking Lab has evolved into an educational institution for circular entrepreneurship, attracting university students from diverse fields like neurobiology, future planet studies, AI, and food technology. Run by young people on a social mission to prevent food waste, the bakery focuses on circularity, where leftover ingredients find new purposes, like fermentation. Knowledge sharing stands as a cornerstone of Baking Lab's mission.

Oma’s Soep

Oma’s Soup, an initiative based in Amsterdam, tackles loneliness among senior citizens by bringing them together to prepare delicious homemade soup. The soup uses vegetables that would otherwise be discarded, combating food waste and loneliness. Volunteers are welcome to join Cook Days to enjoy the company of the omas while learning cooking tips and techniques. 

Ctaste is a unique restaurant experience in Amsterdam where visitors dine in total darkness, served by visually impaired employees.

Read more about Amsterdam's role in the global food scene