New restaurant aims to change prisoner's lives

Plans are underway to open a new restaurant in Styal which will be a joint venture between Her Majesty's Prison Service and The Clink Restaurant charity.

The former Styal Church building, which has been unused for some 18 years, is being converted into a restaurant, including kitchens and private function rooms.

Women who are coming to the end of their sentence can apply for NVQ training courses and those selected will be trained in a variety of catering roles - ranging from being a chef to waiting and front of house.

Cllr Martin Watkins, Chairman of Wilmslow Town Council, explained "The aim is to give women from challenging backgrounds a sense of purpose, a sense of value and a qualification on which they can build their futures."

All women selected for this project will be housed "outside the wire" in a 25 bed accommodation complex, which is being converted from existing buildings on site.

The aim of The Clink Charity is to reduce re-offending rates of ex-offenders by training and placing graduates upon their release into the hospitality industry. The charity represents a genuine opportunity for change, offering prisoners the chance to gain food preparation, food service and cleaning qualifications as well as experience within an operational business and guidance to find full-time employment within the hospitality industry upon release.

The Clink Charity operates the Clink Restaurant at HMP High Down, HMP Cardiff and HMP Brixton in partnership with Her Majesty's Prison Service and is in the process of rolling out this concept in other UK prisons.

The project at Styal should be up and running by March next year and the intention is for the restaurant to be open to the public serving breakfast and lunch. All the produce required for the restaurant will be locally sourced or grown in the gardens of the prison.

Cllr Watkins added "There are some very well known chefs and restaurateurs who give of their time to assist the training and there are some equally well known businessmen and women who are guaranteeing the jobs."

Tags:: Styal Prison

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Oliver Romain

Wednesday 1^st October 2014 at 5:31 pm

Great idea. Can't wait to try it out.

Richard Holman

Thursday 2^nd October 2014 at 10:25 am

A couple of months ago my wife Kathy and I were taken for lunch by my brother and his wife to the first venture which is at HMP High Down in Surrey. Unlike the project at Styal the restaurant there is within the prison (which is a Category B). The ambience and food were good and the service attentive. The charity not only provides the prisoners with training but also helps them to find jobs on release. The reoffending rate has dropped dramatically (from about 47% to about 13%). It is a great project deserving of support.

Florence Collier

Saturday 4^th October 2014 at 8:22 am

Such a positive project. Great news!