London - Boasting fancy décor and an à la carte menu, from the inside, this looks like any other first-class restaurant. But, that’s exactly where diners are – on the inside.
Clink Restaurant has opened its doors at Brixton Prison in London – where visitors will be served by and eat food prepared by 28 trained prisoners.
The 120-seat restaurant, where a three-course menu costs £21 (R369), is housed inside the former Regency Roadhouse, which was the old governor’s house.
Inmates will be trained to cook and carry out front-of-house duties, including serving customers and working in “a true-to-life environment”, according to The Clink Charity, which already runs two other prison restaurants.
The menu showcases the best in British produce – from venison carpaccio with poached celeriac and chilli chocolate dressing, to stone bass with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, sweet potato fondant and seasonal vegetables.
Puddings include a celebration of English apples and a selection of British cheese.
Aiming at reducing prisoner reoffending, the charity said inmates with six to 18 months left of their sentences would be selected for training to achieve a City & Guilds qualification.
Chris Moore, chief executive of The Clink Charity, said: “The launch of The Clink Restaurant at HMP Brixton is testament to the success of the charity and its positive influence on the national rehabilitation of prisoners.
“Through recruitment, training, auditing, employment and mentoring, we are contributing to the reduction in prisoner reoffending in the UK.”
Due to the location of the restaurant, there’s a strict approval process, and interested diners will need to fill out a booking enquiry form. – Daily Mail