A team of chefs from Asian restaurant chain wagamama visited all-female HMP Downview in Surrey recently, offering cooking classes to help attract inmates into hospitality careers after release.
The lessons, conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, represented the first time ever that a major UK restaurant group has worked within a female prison – and fed its entire population.
In the prison kitchen, the chefs from wagamama trained 18 prisoners in the preparation of some of the chain’s classic dishes, bringing to life the experience of working in one of its busy kitchens.
The wagamama team, headed by the firm’s early careers partner Lauren Robbin, and supported by senior chefs, fed hundreds of inmates and staff food prepared by the women inmates.
Together they created over 400 portions of Chicken katsu curry, yasai katsu curry and bang bang cauliflower, all made completely from scratch with fresh produce, enabling the women to learn new skills and experience the wagamama working ways.
During 2023, the Ministry of Justice and wagamama restaurants formed a partnership to take chefs into prisons and teach inmates cooking skills and ultimately offer them work so they have a job when they are released, helping to minimise the risk of re-offending.
The project had already been successful in the five male prisons they have visited so far, producing a number of hires and in one case, an apprentice who has been promoted to managerial level.
A wagamama spokesperson said: “Supporting prison leavers into meaningful work has seen us visit a number of prisons across the UK where we have talked to men and women close to release about wagamama, who we are, what we stand for and the job opportunities we have to offer alongside the apprenticeship opportunities to build on any kitchen-based education they have received from the prison.
“We were proud to work with HMP Downview’s kitchen and turn it into a wagamama kitchen for the day, enabling the women to see first-hand what it is like to work back of house in one of our restaurants.
“We’re committed to making sure these women see the opportunities available to them, especially having seen the impact first hand from our previous sessions and hope to help more people transition into meaningful work at wagamama, whilst supporting in the wider goal of reducing reoffending.”
New Futures Network chief executive Duncan O Leary added: “Getting prisoners into work is the best way to cut reoffending and keep the public safe.
“That’s why some of the nation’s best-loved restaurant and pub chains are teaming up with prisons to give inmates the skills they need to secure a job on release – all while helping hospitality firms train the workforce they need to grow and thrive.”
