Michelin-starred chef working to help the homeless

A Michelin-starred chef in the UK is helping to set up a new restaurant that will support homeless people.

Located in Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, the restaurant is owned by charity Social Bite - a chain of sandwich shops that allows customers to 'pay it forward' by pre-paying for a coffee that a homeless person can order - and operated by Dean Gassabi of Maison Bleue restaurants.

Social Bite also invest profits to help vulnerable people.

Home, serving French-Scottish cuisine, is set to open next month and Michelin-starred chef Martin Wishart will create monthly specials and take to the kitchen himself once a quarter, reports UK newspaper The Independent.

Wishart opened his eponymous restaurant in Edinburgh in 1999 and it has held one Michelin star since 2001, as well as 4 AA rosettes.

He then established Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond, which received a Michelin Star in 2011. 

His other restaurants are The Honours, in Edinburgh, and The Honours, in Glasgow.

Home will provide training and employment programmes for members of the Social Bite Academy, which is the charity's four-year course for homeless people, while also reserving Monday afternoons for only serving homeless people. 

It is the latest project of entrepreneur Josh Littlejohn, who is receiving support from his restaurateur father Simon Littlejohn and Montpelier Group's David Wither.

Josh Littlejohn said: "We see this restaurant as the next evolution of the Social Bite concept. It's a place where diners can come for an amazing dining experience, but also support some of the most vulnerable people in our society at the same time.

"We will be inviting the homeless community into the restaurant every Monday [from] 3pm-5pm to eat with dignity - not to offer a hand out, but a hand up - to employment, stability and self-worth."

Gassabi commented: "We are thrilled to be partnering with Josh and the team at Social Bite on this exciting new venture.

"The idea of making a big difference in the community is something that was of big appeal to me and all of my team here, and we look forward to welcoming diners next month."