Oxford Tap Social eyes ‘new markets’ as beer bosses hired

Oxford’s homegrown brewery, bakery and hospitality organisation Tap Social Movement has taken new strides towards growing its reach outside of the county, where it has seen great success.

The social enterprise runs three Oxfordshire community venues, including its award-winning bakery and cafe Proof Social Bakehouse and its popular Botley Taproom, which provide paid employment opportunities for former prisoners.

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Now, the organisation is seeking its ‘next key growth stage’ as it aims to ‘expand its impact’ on the lives of prison leavers.

Former Asahi Europe and International CEO Paolo Lanzarotti and former Punch Taverns CEO Giles Thorley have been appointed to senior advisory roles to help the company achieve its ambitions.

Former Asahi Europe & International CEO Paolo Lanzarotti (Image: Tap Social)

Mr Lanzarotti brings experience from the beer industry having previously overseen a group with 20 breweries and production facilities across eight domestic markets and more than 80 internationally.

He said: “For a number of years, I’ve admired how Tap Social have built a business balancing the delivery of growth in numbers alongside having a positive impact on people in prison and prison leavers.

“Now I’m excited to be part of the journey that will see this business having economic and social impact at greater scale. And the beer is pretty good too.”

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Giles Thorley, currently CEO of Development Bank of Wales, joins Tap Social with nine years of hospitality management experience at Punch Taverns, which became one of the largest pub groups in the UK and won him the the top spot two years in a row in the list of the 50 most influential people in the pub trade.

Former Punch Taverns CEO Giles Thorley (Image: Tap Social)

Mr Thorley said: “Tap Social is a fantastic business that combines a great multi-function business model with a strong ethical stance – a model that encompasses a hugely innovative brewery, an award winning bakery, unique retail spaces, entertainment, and a principled brand.

“Whether it is the support for the rehabilitation of offenders or sourcing of sustainable products and a focus on local suppliers, the Tap Social Movement is one to join and one that I am excited to support.”

As senior advisors, the two beer bosses will ‘strategically guide’ the scale and direction of the social enterprise’s expansion into new markets.

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Tap Social Movement is set to launch purpose-built venue Day Release later this year at Milton Park (Image: Aurélien Langlais)

In addition to its three Oxfordshire venues, Tap Social is set to open Day Release later this year, a purpose-built cafe, bar ad bakery at Milton Park innovation hub, plus additional new outlets.

It also now distributes beer to more than 240 Waitrose & Partners supermarkets in the UK.

The expansion will contribute to the ever-growing tally of hours of paid employment for people in prison and prison leavers – now standing at more than 112,000 hours – to reduce reoffending and turn lives around.