The Clink (restaurant)
| The Clink | |
|---|---|
  Location of HM Prison High Down, within which The Clink is located | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | May 11, 2009 |
| Chef | Alberto Crisci |
| Food type | European cuisine |
| Street address | HM Prison High Down |
| City | Banstead |
| County | Surrey |
| Postal code/ZIP | UK |
| Coordinates | 51°20′08″N 0°11′23″W / 51.3355°N 0.1897°W |
| Other locations | The Clink Cymru (Cardiff, Wales) |
| Website |
www |
The Clink is a fine dining restaurant located inside HM Prison High Down, in Banstead, Surrey. It is the first of a series of planned restaurants to be set up in conjunction by The Clink Charity and HM Prison Service, with the second restaurant located near HM Prison Cardiff. The concept was invented by chef Alberto Crisci, who was awarded a Catey Award in 2011 for his work with the charity, and set up by him together with Kevin McGrath. The restaurants employ serving offenders who undergo training whilst they work.
Description
The restaurant was opened jointly by The Clink Charity and HM Prison Service following a concept proposed by chef Alberto Crisci,[1] who had previously worked for Marco Pierre White at the restaurant Mirabelle in London.[2] It launched in May 2009, at a cost of £550,000. Crisci worked to generate the funds to pay for the restaurant with the permission of Governor Peter Dawson. The charity foundation set up by Kevin McGrath donated £250,000. Inmates earn National Vocational Qualifications whilst working at the restaurant.[3] In January 2012, celebrity chef Antonio Carluccio was announced as chef ambassador of The Clink at HMP High Down.[4]
Because of its status as Category B prison, visitors to High Down, including customers of the restaurant, are required to hand over mobile phones and any potential weapons or sharp objects before entering.[3] As no metal cutlery is allowed within the prison, diners must eat with plastic cutlery, which Crisci said complicated the menu: "We can't serve you anything tough, so we concentrate on slow-cooked dishes like shoulder of lamb and mutton hotpot".[3] Potential customers are also required to book in advance and have security clearance.[5]
The Chief Executive of The Clink Charity, Chris Moore, stated that he intends to open two additional Clink restaurants per year up to 2016. He expects that there will be two venues in London opened during 2013.[6] He said the purpose of the Clink was to "reduce re-offending rates of ex-offenders by training and placing graduates upon their release into the hospitality industry."[7] Between the launch of the High Down restaurant in 2009 and January 2012, 111 prisoners were trained, of whom 26 have been released with two of those going on to re-offend while 22 remain in full-time employment.[4] This compares to the national re-offending rate of 47%.[8]
Reception
Nick Harding ate at the restaurant and reviewed it for The Independent shortly after it opened, summarising his visit as "Excellent food, value and service. Interesting surroundings. I will be dining there again, if I get security clearance".[3]
Alberto Crisci was awarded the 2011 Education and Training Catey Award.[9] In 2012, the restaurant was awarded the Footprint Award for Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility by the Royal Society of Arts.[10]
The Clink Cymru
A second restaurant opened near to HM Prison Cardiff in September 2012. The restaurant has 96 covers and employs 30 low-risk offenders from Cardiff and Prescoed prisons. Chef Stephen Terry was announced as the chef ambassador at the launch of the restaurant, which was opened by Jeremy Wright, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Ministry of Justice.[1] Dean Pithers is head chef at the Wales version of The Clink.[11]
The Clink (Styal)
There is a restaurant called The Clink in the grounds of Styal Prison in Cheshire, just inside one of the gates. It is open to the public. It is run by prisoners.[12]
References
- 1 2 "Prisoner restaurant Clink Cymru opens in Cardiff". BBC News. 20 September 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ↑ McDermott, Nick (16 October 2008). "The prison where inmates serve haute cuisine to paying guests". Daily Mail. Retrieved 28 July 2012. (subscription required)
- 1 2 3 4 Harding, Nick (2 July 2009). "Criminally tasty: Britain's first prison restaurant". The Independent. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- 1 2 Kühn, Kerstin (18 January 2012). "Antonio Carluccio made chef ambassador at High Down prison's Clink restaurant". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ↑ "The Clink: The posh restaurant inside a prison". The Daily Mirror. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ↑ Ruddick, Peter (10 September 2012). "The Clink reveals plans for two prison restaurants a year as it prepares to open a Cardiff venue". Big Hospitality. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ↑ Kühn, Kerstin (1 March 2012). "The Clink hopes to launch second prison restaurant in Cardiff". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ↑ Dinsdale, Paul (3 July 2012). "High Down prison chefs show Gordon Ramsay how it's done". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ↑ "Alberto Crisci wins Education and Training 2011 Catey award". Institute of Hospitality. 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ↑ Ruddick, Peter (25 May 2012). "Footprint Awards for The Clink, Spirit Pub Company and Raymond Blanc". Big Hospitality. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ↑ Vinter, Phil (1 September 2012). "Serving thyme: Prison restaurant 'The Clink' opens to the public inside category-B jail". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ↑ http://theclinkcharity.org/the-clink-restaurants/styal-cheshire/