Horsing Around Catering: a Vision for Work and Recovery After Abuse

Ben speaks from experience. He has survived domestic violence himself and understands how hard returning to employment can be after trauma. He remembers asking, “Where can I make myself, where can I start?”. It was this moment that led to a referral from the mental health team on Dryden Road Clinic, placing him on one of FIRST’s courses - something he now describes as “amazing” and pivotal to building the courage needed to take a first public step. 

He completed the programme online and it gave him more than business knowledge. It connected him to others, offered space to speak about his idea and eventually gave him the courage to join his first in-person event - FIRST’s Festive Coffee Morning. Until then, the thought of networking, describing his idea or introducing himself felt out of reach. 

Horsing Around Catering is still in the early planning stages, but the model is already mapped. Ben wants to register as a Limited Company, secure a catering horsebox pulled by a Land Rover - another link to his farming roots - and begin tailored catering for private events. The offer is simple and flexible: any cuisine on request, a minimum of two weeks’ notice, wholesale ingredients purchased to enable a profit, and responsiveness to dietary needs. 

It is in the area of staffing that Ben’s vision becomes distinctive, shaped by his own personal journey and growth. He wants to create opportunities for people who have experienced domestic violence because he understands the strength, resilience and potential they carry, and the difference that a positive, trusting workplace and a supportive community can make in the recovery process. For Ben, employment is not just about income - it is about rebuilding confidence, belonging and hope. 

He is adamant that recruitment will not be transactional: “It’s not about what someone can offer me or my business - it’s about the skills they can gain and the courage they can build.” 

His approach is structured. New recruits would take part in an informal interview - designed less to assess a CV and more to give interview experience and a chance to explore their own goals. Successful applicants would spend six months training in-house, learning catering skills, customer service and workplace expectations in a calm, supportive way. After that period, Ben hopes to offer a formal interview for a permanent role. If someone decides not to stay, he wants to help them with the transition - including referrals back to FIRST for further enterprise skills support. 

He already has employer insurance in place and is thinking seriously about safeguarding. He plans to work with referrals from the police, health advisers and other support services, ensuring that staff with restraining orders or documented safety concerns are protected through clear policies and risk-aware planning. 

His personal history shapes his vision. Ben was adopted and later met his biological family. His sister works in catering, and learning about her trade reignited his interest in food as a practical, communal craft. It felt like a sector with constant demand and enough momentum to create opportunity for others. 

He has hands-on catering experience already, having worked with Hand Crafted. That experience reinforced his belief that food brings people together and that, under the right leadership, a team can feel, in his words, “not just a business but a family.” 

Ben is not niave about the social landscape his business would enter. He is disappointed with NHS provision for mental health, describing long waits, reduced budgets and a system struggling under demand. He sees Horsing Around Catering as a small, community-driven counterweight - a workplace where recovery is acknowledged rather than hidden. 

Short-term, his targets are clear: hire a first team member and secure the catering vehicle by March 2026. Long-term, the ambition expands into social impact, strategic partnerships and literal refuges on wheels. 

His message to anyone considering enterprise training is direct: 

“Just do it. Nothing is lost by trying - and so much can be gained.” 

Horsing Around Catering is progressing step by step, guided by planning, training and a clear social purpose. Ben sees enterprise as a route for people to build purpose and courage through real work, and he is already mapping partnerships, employment pathways and safeguarding structures. This venture is firmly grounded in reality - it is a developing business shaped by preparation, lived experience and a commitment to creating safe, supported routes back into employment.