If you’re an avid Bitten reader and follower, you’ll probably have seen that I post about Proof Social A LOT on the Bitten social channels.

I now live very close to Donnington Bridge, so one of our fave weekend walks is along the river up to Kennington, to the one and only, Proof Social, baby!

It’s the perfect dog walk (45 mins from the bridge to Proof, and 45 back). Lovely views and a visit to pastry heaven in the middle of the walk – what’s not to love? Coffee from Missing Bean, and other local treats make it such a brilliant haven for small businesses to work together. It got to the point where I was going 3 weekends in a row, and with every new pastry I tried, I just HAD to know more about this magical place.

What’s the story behind Proof (and Tap) Social? How did it all begin?

I set up Tap Social and Proof Social Bakehouse with my sister Amy and her partner Paul. We all have several years of experience working in the criminal justice industry – Paul is a criminal barrister, Amy has worked in various roles across the police, courts, and most recently as a senior policy with the ministry of justice, and I worked as a counselor with a non-profit organisation that helps people with criminal records to apply for record suspensions and waivers.

We’d all seen the revolving door effect of the criminal justice system and felt that it is flawed, promoting reoffending rather than preventing it. When people are convicted of an offence and sentenced to serve a prison sentence, their sentence doesn’t end when their incarceration does. The lack of support for people leaving prison coupled with the isolation and exclusion that comes from having a criminal record means that on average 38-57% of people find themselves back behind bars within the first year of release alone. Having a fulfilling job helps build self-confidence and resilience, and equips people for a productive and happy life, so we set up to employ those who are excluded because of time spent in prison.

We’ve now employed 54 former and current prisoners directly on site within the business, which equates to 100,000 hours of paid employment, and we’ve worked with hundreds more people through prison workshops/programmes. We can see the positive impact that employment has on peoples’ futures and we want to demonstrate that other businesses can also be a force for good. 

We opened Proof in August 2022 – six years into our journey with Tap Social. Proof is an artisan sourdough bakery that, like all Tap Social arms, provides paid, dignified employment to people in prison and prison leavers. The bakery is set in a large industrial warehouse space and features an open plan bakery set alongside a cafe, where members of the public can have a really nice coffee and a delicious pastry and chat with the bakers while they work. 

What’s been the biggest learning from running Proof and Tap Social?

There have been lots, but the biggest one for me is to focus – focus on what we’re good at, focus on what we know, and focus on what our offer is. This has meant recognising that we’re an employer first and foremost, and that the strongest thing we can offer to our target cohort is meaningful and stable employment, and then signpost to other organisations for their support as it’s needed (such as with housing and mental health). It’s also meant focusing on our public offering and identifying where our strengths lay, and being able to make tough decisions when things don’t lay within our wheelhouse (like closing a venue!). 

What’s been the biggest challenge?

We face the same challenges that any small, independent business faces – managing cashflow, surviving post Covid, Brexit, and cost of living crisis, and juggling lots of different aspects of a growing organisation. It’s been a very tricky landscape for hospitality in particular and keeping things afloat while trying to grow our impact and brand has kept us very much on our toes. Shoutout to my sister Amy who is our finance director and has managed a really tight ship! 

What are you most proud of?

Without a doubt, the people that I get to work with. I am surrounded by amazing, inspiring people – people who have overcome major adversity and hardship, people who are so dedicated to their own growth and helping Tap Social grow, and people who have brought so much knowledge and passion to the organisation. We just have an incredible team and I feel very lucky to work alongside each and every person on it. It’s also especially humbling and encouraging to see development from team members who join us from a prison background – the growth in confidence and skills and the personal relationships we have with team members keeps us all motivated.

Are you a foodie? What’s your fave food?

I love food so much – I love how it brings people together and how many different things it brings and offers under one umbrella. It is so hard to pick one favourite but I love anything Greek or Turkish very much and my favourite activity ever is going for a walk to get a nice coffee and a nice little pastry treat. 

What’s your fave Proof pastry atm?

So hard to answer! I will always go for an almond croissant but I love the weekly specials our very talented bakers make and how different and interesting they are. I regularly think about the coffee laminated croissant with mascarpone that they did a few months ago.

What’s your fave Tap Social beer atm?

My usual go to is our flagship IPA, Time Better Spent, but at the moment I’m loving our hazy pale ale called Home and Dry, and I’m also very stoked about our new alcohol free pale called Day Release as I love nice “adult” drinks that don’t contain alcohol. 

What exciting things have you got coming up/what would you like to do next?

We’ve got plans for our next venue, due to open late summer/early Autumn this year. Watch this space…!

If you’ve made it this far, I bet you’re drooling and planning a trip to Proof right now.

I had a really great time seeing the earlier part of the process, and how much hard work goes into this place behind the scenes. It’s a really early start for the bakers and they have a lot to get done before the public start trickling in, but everyone is super friendly, and were so happy to chat me through what they were doing and what their fave pastries were.

The team are mega creative (they come up with the new recipes and pastry ideas themselves, genius!). My personal fave pastry at the moment is the parsnip and honey – the combination just SLAPS, perfect combo of savoury and sweet, whoever came up with that one – thank you.

Proof have just added a new mezzanine floor, so more room to sit and enjoy, and ofc there’s the outside seating for when it’s sunny. Alternatively, I recommend taking your pastry for a little walk along the river and enjoying it in the sunshine while people-watching – pure heaven. I’d love to hear what your faves are if you’ve been, or if you plan to go – let me know in the comments!

Proof Social Bakehouse
68, Sandford Lane Industrial Estate, Kennington, Oxford OX1 5RP