AN INTRODUCTION TO SIMPLY LUNCH
Welcome
Welcome to our first Impact Report. Our commitment to delicious food and our local communities has been central to our South London business since it was founded in 1979. Today, we are as dedicated as ever to creating high-quality hand-crafted products, made to improve lives and protect our beautiful planet. Over 45 years of experience with fantastic food has helped us develop our holistic approach to eating – we care about your health but also want our products to taste great too.
At Simply Lunch, we are all about improving lives through delicious food.
“As we embark on this journey, I am proud to share our commitment to sustainability, which stands as a key driver for our business. Our mission is not only to meet the evolving needs of our customers but also to drive real change within the Food to Go industry.
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. From sourcing responsibly to reducing waste, we are dedicated to making a positive impact on our environment and communities. This report highlights our e orts, achievements, and the challenges we face as we strive to create a more sustainable future. Together, we can make a di erence. Thank you for joining us on this important journey.”
Sam Page, Managing Director
Our Marketing & Sustainability Director, William Page shares
“Our devotion to protecting our planet is reflected in everything we do. We have introduced several key initiatives throughout the last 12 months. This report outlines our progress and the steps we are taking to both meet our immediate sustainability targets but also to set a foundation for long-term positive impact.
We are creating a sustainable future and are grateful for your support on this mission.”
Simply Lunch Snapshot
3 25m 200+ 5000+ 380+ 97% 5
Sites across the UK.
Products produced in 2023/24. SKUs.
Deliveries per week. Team. Sta retention.
Charity partners.
Our Approach
Sam Page, Managing Director at Simply Lunch, articulates that “We exist to be a positive force in the world and drive real change in the food industry to protect generations to come.”
Launching Vision 28, a five-year plan to double the size of our business by 2028 highlights our ambitious targets as a company. However, this is about more than financial growth. Whether we’re launching innovative products, supporting charity partners or creating a great place to work, Simply Lunch is committed to being a force for good.
Our People
It is quite simple; our people make Simply Lunch what it is. We are passionate about creating a working environment our people enjoy. A place where people are inspired to create a great future for themselves. HR manager, Riccita Pattni, states ‘Our people strategy is one of our key strategic drivers at Simply Lunch. It is crucial that we attract and retain the highest calibre of passionate and enthusiastic food industry professionals who are as excited about the future of this dynamic industry as we are. We respect our employees and recognise the importance of creating a positive and open working environment for them. We are committed to the development of our people, encouraging each and every person to reach their career aspirations.’
Our Operations
Producing food products on a large scale can have a significant impact on our environment if not managed correctly. Throughout the business, we carefully monitor the impact our business operations have on our planet and have annual objectives in place to ensure we are operating in the most sustainable way.
Our Communities
Simply Lunch recognises its responsibility to make a positive impact, a commitment that extends into our local community. As a food manufacturer, we have the opportunity to make a positive di erence to vulnerable people who may not have easy access to food on a daily basis. As well as regular ad hoc charitable work, we have built a partnership with our local charity fighting homelessness, Croydon Nightwatch, which spans over 20 years. As our business grows, we will continue to provide value to the communities around us.
Our Food
Our customers trust Simply Lunch to provide them with the best Food to Go products on the market. We are often an extension to our customers business therefore it's important sustainability objectives are aligned. Whether it's plastic-free packaging, locally sourced food or healthy whole food options, we will ensure our customers are given options to drive change within the industry.
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?
Investing in our People
Our brand-new head o ce and Innovation Lounge opened in January 2024. This collaborative space was furnished with repurposed and reupholstered furniture. We teamed up with The Glasshouse who support horticultural training and employment for female ex-o enders, bringing our lounge to life with greenery and nature to boost productivity and enable our employees to de-stress.
We’re excited to show you around!
Investment in Manufacturing Excellence
In 2024, we redesigned one of our manufacturing areas, which enabled us to introduce 3 new multi-format production lines. We also reviewed our supporting areas and have made adjustments where necessary such as increasing our warehouse and storage capabilities. This has increased our manufacturing capacity from 28m products to 50m products per year.
INDUSTRY FIRST PARTNERSHIPS
We were the first Food-to-go manufacturer to partner with Wildfarmed. Our ciabatta range is made using Wildfarmed’s regenerative flour, blending deliciousness with sustainability.
We’ve teamed up with Daily Dose Juices, and it’s a match made in sustainability heaven! Both Simply Lunch and Daily Dose share a passion for fresh, high-quality ingredients and a commitment to eco-friendly practices. Their juices are made with wonky fruit to reduce food waste, and all left over pulp is broken down to generate biogas and biofertiliser. This partnership is all about bringing you delicious, nutritious options while staying true to our green values.
CARBON ANALYSIS
Scope 1 Emissions
These are direct emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by Simply Lunch. This category covers our emissions from company vehicles.
Scope 2 Emissions
These are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, heating, and cooling consumed by us. This includes emissions from the electricity used in our o ces and production facilities.
Our Scope 1 & 2 Emissions Mapped Out
We have made huge strides in the last three years since we began tracking our carbon emissions at Simply Lunch with a reduction of 10.12% per million products produced.
CARBON ANALYSIS
Scope 3 Emissions
These are all our other indirect emissions that occur in our supply chain. This includes emissions from sources not owned or directly controlled by us but related to our activities. Examples include emissions from the production of ingredients and packaging materials used in our products.
We’ve partnered with My Emissions for the next three years to cover our entire Simply Lunch product range with full Scope 3 reporting. This collaboration gives us a deeper understanding of our environmental impact, helping us identify key areas for improvement. These insights are essential as we work towards our NetZero goal by 2035.
Stay tuned for more in 2025!
Our Community Impact 2024
40,000+
Sandwiches donated to those vulnerable /homeless.
Annual Christmas Lunch bag giveaway for Croydon Nightwatch.
2
Community events in collaboration with Quorn and Meals & More.
£4900+
Donated to Meals & More charity as part of our ‘Spirit of Giving’ campaign in collaboration with Quorn.
2023 (Base line): 13990 tCO2e
15+
Computer devices donated to Clear Community Web to support the community’s needs.
OUR TEAM
Team
Charity Days
We wanted to give our team the opportunity to donate their time to help a charity of their choice throughout the year. Whether that is during work hours or not, our team are paid by us to support their chosen charity.
Our Wellbeing Champions & Committee
At the end of 2024, we established our Wellbeing Champions and Committee. Sta members were trained to provide mental health support within their respective areas, and are focused on implementing relevant initiatives to support our employees across the business.
Team Activities
We are passionate about creating a working environment our people enjoy.
Brand Refresh
Digital Future
LOOKING AHEAD
Our digitalisation strategy is set to revolutionise our operations and sustainability e orts. Partnering with AFP, we’re implementing an innovative ERP system that will streamline our processes from goods-in to delivery, enhancing e ciency across the board. This initiative includes the introduction of inline verification throughout our factory, providing us with precise e ciency reports and significantly reducing waste. Additionally, our move towards paperless traceability ensures seamless tracking from goods-in to delivery, further improving our service quality and sustainability impact. Through these advancements, we are committed to fostering a more e cient, transparent, and environmentally responsible business.
We have submitted our B Corp B Impact Assessment! This is our largest milestone in our journey towards greater social and environmental responsibility. This evaluation reflects our commitment to high standards of performance, accountability, and transparency. By completing the B Impact Assessment, we aim to join a global community of 10,000 other businesses across 105 countries dedicated to using their influence for good. Achieving B Corp certification will not only validate our e orts but also guide us in continuously improving our impact on employees, communities, and the environment. We look forward to sharing our progress and learning from other like-minded organisations.
In 2025, we’re giving 80+ of our packs a fresh new look! We’ll be reviewing all packaging formats to see how we can reduce or eliminate excess packaging. This isn’t just about making our products look great—it’s also about cutting down on waste and boosting our sustainability e orts. We can’t wait to share these exciting changes with you in the coming months.
Simply Cookhouse
We cannot wait for the opening of our new purpose-built Simply Cookhouse in 2025! This state-of-the-art facility will allow us to prepare and cook pasta, grains and vegetables, ensuring fresher, better-quality ingredients and enabling us to meet the growing demand of healthier options. By taking control of our production process, we’re able to deliver exceptional quality and take another step towards achieving our sustainability goals.
As your Food-To-Go supplier, we guarantee your range will fulfil your customer's tastes and dietary needs. From our delicious sandwiches to our range of salads, to our extensive hot eats selection.