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BETTY'S BITES
For the best start
MEET THE OWNERS
Best friends Amanda Shearer and Alexz Titovaite met working at HMP Edinburgh; Amanda worked as a Chef whilst Alexz taught within the Education Department. Both were shocked at the shear volume of women who were leaving prison and then re-offending in a very short period of time. This was because the women were unable to secure housing or a job due to their criminal record, getting stuck in a destructive cycle.
This led to Amanda and Alexz creating Betty's Bites, named in tribute to Betty who worked in the kitchens with Amanda serving a life sentence, and who hoped to have her own café one day. The purpose of the café is to give women the opportunity to gain skills as waiting staff and in the kitchen for six weeks, with the aim to move onto a permanent full time job, greatly improving their chance of being successful outside prison.
Along with this work experience, the café runs a pay-as-you-please menu where they are no set prices. Customers are widely encouraged to pay as much they can towards their meals, with the idea that paying extra will help subsidised people who cannot pay as much or at all. Betty's Bites aims to help the community and give everyone the best start in life.
MEET OUR SPONSORS
Betty's Bites is proudly sponsored by Victor and Carina Contini Edinburgh, owned by local Chef Carina Contini and her family.
The couple's love for cooking comes from their families arriving from rural Italy and have been serving beautiful food on the East coast of Scotland for over a century. In 2004 they opened Contini George Street, serving fresh, seasonal and authentic Italian cooking. They now have locations across Edinburgh at the Scottish National Gallery and on the Royal Mile.
Their third restaurant, Cannonball House was named winner of the Eating & Drinking Guide “Newcomer of the Year” and “Best Restaurant Experience” as part of the Visit Scotland Taste Our Best Awards. To find out more about Victor and Carina Contini Edinburgh, visit their website