Our Story
It’s changed my stream of thinking. I want to give back to society now. The friends I made have supported me too. We are still in contact.
Our story starts with a mission to help people back into the community and cut re-offending. And a passion for great food and its role in bringing people together and providing hope.
Liberty Kitchen was an eye opener. It took me on a journey of new tastes, flavours and experiences as well as learning how to be a team member; it's different because we are creating something that is being produced and going out to a market.
2015
Liberty Kitchen was the brainchild of Janet Boston, an Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) volunteer at what was then Europe’s largest female prison, HMP Holloway. Over her 10+ years as a volunteer, Janet saw the difference purposeful activity made to the women.
Recognising how much food mattered, she got a group of people together to develop a street food concept that could work in a prison environment and the rest, as they say, is history – Liberty Kitchen was born!
Recognising how much food mattered, she got a group of people together to develop a street food concept that could work in a prison environment and the rest, as they say, is history – Liberty Kitchen was born!
2017
Holloway prison closed, and the Governor and men of HMP Pentonville put up their hands to be involved. Pentonville provided the ‘proof of concept’, allowing the team to ‘test and learn’ how best to help prepare the men for life on the outside and provide them with choices when they leave prison. The result was a 2-step programme that is still running today:
- an ‘in-prison’ programme that combines developing classic culinary skills, tapping into the imagination of the men to develop their own recipes as well as to make a product with soft skills, qualifications and experience in how to set up and run a business.
- a ‘through the gate’ programme/stepping stone for recently released prisoners to sell the street food, interact with the public in a positive and supported way and to breakdown stereotypes about people who are/have been in prison while they try to re-establish themselves for life outside.
2019
Two years down the line the efforts of the Pentonville men, stakeholders and supporters were recognised by winning the 2019 BBC Food and Farming Awards, Best Street Food in the UK category.
Winning the award saw unprecedented demand for our ‘street balls’ both on the markets and at the events we offer. Including canapes for the prestigious Longford Trust Lecture (see the above 2019 team).
2020/21
The Covid years. 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.
We continued training for 6 months between April 2020 and 2021. And in early 2021 the outside team worked with its top London Chef, Matt Bishop, to provide over 2,000 lunchboxes for medics on the COVID frontline at the NHS Royal Free Hospital.
Covid times were very difficult. They took away my structure. My place of work and my network. Liberty Kitchen was helpful to me not just mentally but physically... I wanted to help... I didn't want to end up with my old habits.
2022 and onwards!
Working with professional Chefs and a talented training team, over 130 men have designed mouth-watering recipes which reflect their backgrounds and celebrate London’s diversity. Over a third have gone ‘through the gate’ to work on our stalls and at our events gaining invaluable work experience. Having introduced 'Cooking with Family' days we continue to innovate and provide hope inside prison; while delivering great food outside on our market stall and at private events. Come and try our award winning food soon!
I'm learning good life skills for the future. We had a lovely family day where I cooked with my wife and son.
