Fair Shot is a not-for-profit café in the heart of Covent Garden which aims to transform the lives of young people with learning disabilities by providing them with invaluable hospitality training. The initiative was founded by entrepreneur Bianca Tavella in 2019 with a mission to combat the 95% unemployment rate amongst adults with learning disabilities. Every year, it employs 12 young adults in its hospitality training programme, in which trainees spend four days a week in the café developing their skills. The remaining one day per week is spent at Fair Shot’s partner college where they focus on the theory-led side of the course.
At the end of the year, all trainees are then placed in organisations across London – from restaurants to hotels and fellow hospitality groups – where they continue to grow and develop their careers. Ongoing support is also offered for the first 6 months at their new roles to ensure a smooth and positive career development.
So, what’s on the menu? Fair Shot Café serves seasonal all-day dining options, with a particular focus on fresh brunch dishes. Examples include overnight oats with caramelised pears, maple syrup and cinnamon, oyster mushrooms with creamed spinach and garlic oil on sourdough, and beetroot and avocado on toast. A daily range of handmade sandwiches, salads and sweet treats can also be ordered at the counter for a quick, nutritious meal or snack. While specialty-grade coffee sourced from acclaimed roasters Curious Roo offers customers a high-quality caffeine fix.
The light-filled ground floor is dominated by a central counter alongside seating for 30, with a wall-to-wall banquette at the back of the room and a communal table. The social enterprise pays all its employees the London living wage, with 100% of its sales going back into empowering young adults with learning disabilities.