Working to give men a chance for change, Liberty Kitchen is a street food social enterprise producing and delivering a delicious, original London-inspired menu of Ball no Chain meat, fish, veggie and vegan street ball recipes created, made and sold by prisoners and ex-prisoners.
Established in HMP Pentonville a Cat B London male prison in autumn 2017, Liberty Kitchen provides training, relevant qualifications, jobs and opportunity. Working with a professional Chef and team of talent, over 60 men have and are currently designing recipes which reflect their backgrounds and celebrate London’s diversity while gaining valuable enterprise and business skills as well as the possibility of a job and support on leaving.
In 2019 Liberty Kitchen’s work and menu was recognised when it won the BBC R.4. Food and Farming 'Best in UK' street food award. Winning the award saw unprecedented demand for our markets and events catering offer. All sadly curtailed by COVID 19. Recognising how serious any transmission of COVID could be within Pentonville, Liberty Kitchen acted fast – ceasing production and trading as soon as non-essential contact was advised.
Despite significant difficulties Liberty Kitchen worked for 6 months between April 2020 and 2021. In person training took place within the prison in the autumn of 2020 while in early 2021 the outside team worked with top London Chef, Matt Bishop, to provide over 2000 lunchboxes for medics on the COVID frontline at the Royal Free Hospital. Lockdown was also used to develop a product line which Liberty Kitchen is hoping to launch in autumn 2021.
We are now back working in Pentonville - one of the first face-to-face programmes to resume - and back delivering street balls at London markets and events.
Liberty Kitchen launched in Primrose Hill Market, had a Christmas slot at Maltby Street before selling @ Fernandez & Wells in Somerset House with KERB and at Leather Lane. Recent tributes from our ‘last’ pre UK lockdown 50th party – “I would not hesitate in recommending Liberty Kitchen for your amazing food and service. As a “for good” business, you certainly do not compromise on quality”.
Offering a personalised service and creating menus to cater for every taste and occasion Liberty Kitchen would love to make your special occasion - wedding, birthday, graduation, office function or reception even more memorable.
“Liberty Kitchen did the catering for our annual Longford Lecture in 2019, our major public event each year and attracting a crowd of 600-700... They stepped into an established event effortlessly, matched the previous standards but brought something more to the occasion: in the quality of the service they offered; the innovation of their food; and the social purpose of their work. I can recommend them wholeheartedly.”
Peter Stanford, Director of the Longford Trust.
Since our return Liberty Kitchen has been implementing even stricter food, hygiene and COVID 19 safeguarding measures building on our 5* kitchen prep and stall rating.
Established in HMP Pentonville a Cat B London male prison in autumn 2017, Liberty Kitchen provides training, relevant qualifications, jobs and opportunity. Working with a professional Chef and team of talent, over 60 men have and are currently designing recipes which reflect their backgrounds and celebrate London’s diversity while gaining valuable enterprise and business skills as well as the possibility of a job and support on leaving.
In 2019 Liberty Kitchen’s work and menu was recognised when it won the BBC R.4. Food and Farming 'Best in UK' street food award. Winning the award saw unprecedented demand for our markets and events catering offer. All sadly curtailed by COVID 19. Recognising how serious any transmission of COVID could be within Pentonville, Liberty Kitchen acted fast – ceasing production and trading as soon as non-essential contact was advised.
Despite significant difficulties Liberty Kitchen worked for 6 months between April 2020 and 2021. In person training took place within the prison in the autumn of 2020 while in early 2021 the outside team worked with top London Chef, Matt Bishop, to provide over 2000 lunchboxes for medics on the COVID frontline at the Royal Free Hospital. Lockdown was also used to develop a product line which Liberty Kitchen is hoping to launch in autumn 2021.
We are now back working in Pentonville - one of the first face-to-face programmes to resume - and back delivering street balls at London markets and events.
Liberty Kitchen launched in Primrose Hill Market, had a Christmas slot at Maltby Street before selling @ Fernandez & Wells in Somerset House with KERB and at Leather Lane. Recent tributes from our ‘last’ pre UK lockdown 50th party – “I would not hesitate in recommending Liberty Kitchen for your amazing food and service. As a “for good” business, you certainly do not compromise on quality”.
Offering a personalised service and creating menus to cater for every taste and occasion Liberty Kitchen would love to make your special occasion - wedding, birthday, graduation, office function or reception even more memorable.
“Liberty Kitchen did the catering for our annual Longford Lecture in 2019, our major public event each year and attracting a crowd of 600-700... They stepped into an established event effortlessly, matched the previous standards but brought something more to the occasion: in the quality of the service they offered; the innovation of their food; and the social purpose of their work. I can recommend them wholeheartedly.”
Peter Stanford, Director of the Longford Trust.
Since our return Liberty Kitchen has been implementing even stricter food, hygiene and COVID 19 safeguarding measures building on our 5* kitchen prep and stall rating.
For more info and bookings please contact: janet@libertykitchen.org