Scran Academy: Changing Young Lives Through Food

We had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Will (pictured centre), CEO of Scran Academy, an inspiring catering charity on a mission to ensure every young person, regardless of background or barrier, can realise their full potential in learning, work, and life. Using food as a powerful tool for connection and confidence, Scran is changing futures through hospitality. Take a read to discover how their programmes are transforming young lives and what the wider industry can learn from their approach.

What is Scran Academy?

We are a youth work catering charity supporting young people (aged 14+) through education and employment, providing life skills and employment experience in catering and hospitality. We work with young people that face poverty related impact which means their opportunities are limited. These barriers often mean they don’t engage in school.

Why are kitchens the right place for change?

Cooking is one of the best ways to engage young people who may have lost their way in education to reconnect to their own goals and development. You could do it in a few ways but what a better way to capture hearts and minds than with their bellies? Working in a kitchen gives you lifelong skills, professional experience and the mindset that you can fend for yourself.

Can you tell us one of your success stories?

One of the young people that joined our program is now the Social Enterprise Scotland employee champion of the year. She is actually now also our cafe manager in our other site. She started from really struggling to go to school, struggling with phone calls. Now she is invited to number 10 Downing Street and will be attending a Burns Night Reception.

What does it take to support young people successfully in a kitchen or hospitality setting?

A lot of the time it is having belief in them. For instance if someone walks out because they've become overwhelmed, in most employment situations they wouldn’t be coming back, but here, because we believe in them, they do come back. It's on us to support them through that. Our outcome is well-being, which sets us apart as a caterer and hospitality business. It’s about being there for young people because you know they don’t always get the opportunity to fail and come back. Everybody needs that.

How can the hospitality industry do better to support young people?

There is a narrative that young people are not as employable as they used to be, I think that needs cut off. If that is the case then what have we done wrong as employers, as a sector. How can we build our work force supportively, so they are ready for a long and successful career? Businesses face issues around retention rates, turning up on time, I think listening and engaging needs to become industry standard. We need to be calmer, and trust that young people can do it in the right place with the right support.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Tonii, one of the young people currently taking part in the Scran Academy programme. Here’s a glimpse into her journey so far.

When Tonii joined the Scran Academy program in May 2025 she thought she might have to leave school or split her time between school and college. She felt she struggled academically and didn’t see herself as a people person. She told us that when she first arrived, she barely spoke, her answers were limited to “yes,” “no,” or “I don’t know.” Now, she stands confidently front of house, speaking with hundreds of customers each day.

She shared that unfamiliar environments still make her nervous, but the consistency and support she found at Scran Academy helped her come out of her shell and truly thrive. CEO Will described her as a valued member of the team who takes pride in the space, connects naturally with people, and brings exceptional skill to her role. In fact, he noted that even during staff shortages, the team feels reassured knowing Tonii is on shift.

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