By Kane Mumford
A new restaurant designed to cater for high-end business meetings and leisurely luncheons is to be opened in Edinburgh at the end of November. But it will be an eatery with a twist – at least three staff a year will be employed from the streets.
Pickledgreen opens on the 28th of November and has pledged to take on and train three homeless people per year as full-time staff. A spokesperson from Streetwork, a charity which helps homeless people back on their feet was upbeat about the plan: “there’s lots of people on the streets who are ready to work, some even have the skills, but the stigma attached to ‘no fixed abode’ is very strong and it’s difficult for them.”
“I can’t comment specifically on the Pickledgreen plans to recruit homeless people but I’m sure they will be working with experts to make sure that they offer supported employment to them. We wouldn’t put anyone in an environment that they weren’t ready for, employment is really the last stage before being fully integrated into society – I’m sure that the people at the Pickledgreen will be aware of this and I applaud their sense of responsibility to the community.”
Similar plans to open a restaurant ran exclusively by homeless people are also well under way. The site of an abandoned store in South-Bridge will be the new home of a government funded start-up , assisted by Streetwork who are excited about the opportunity it will give to the people they help but anxious about entering the world of business: “We know a lot about the homeless but have had to learn a lot about making money! After two years of planning though we’re well on our way and should soon be able to offer a great opportunity to homeless people in Edinburgh.”