Our Impact

It was a massive help to earn legitimate money... in fact it was an absolute life saver to help bridge the gap between prison and life on the outside

We love that we have helped over 120 men in prison to rethink their futures and build real skills to help them ‘on the outside’. We’ve worked with over 40 men ‘through the gate’ and seen them go on to make positive life choices.

And we dream big at Liberty Kitchen! Our aim is to get Liberty Kitchen into as many prisons as possible over the next ten years. This will help us achieve our vision of “building more inclusive, safer communities by valuing people regardless of their background”.

We know our model works; the elements we include are proven to significantly impact re-offending rates:

Collaboration – showing concern for others and finding ways to contribute with others builds trust and social awareness

Community – forming strong and supportive bonds with others helps build resilience and the determination needed to not re-offend

Creativity – feeling a sense of achievement, satisfaction and mastery boosts self-belief and self-confidence, which is key to imagining a different future

Change – reinforcing that people can change, that they are believed in, they are good people who have something to contribute to society strengthens the belief in the possibility of not re-offending

Choice – by providing hope, motivation and mentoring, we boost determination to make a positive choice to not re-offend

For me the programme was invaluable for the reason that when I came out of prison I didn't want to be a drain on society

Having been the first prisoner to complete the 12 week course in Pentonville. And then, the first to work on the stall on the market, I feel I'm well placed to speak about about how things have developed both for me personally and for Liberty Kitchen as a whole. For me, building healthy working relationships has been equally important both with my peers inside and outside prison.

And, if I'd not challenged myself and my peers, especially the group inside to push ourselves I don't know how successful the pilot would have been. Or, if we'd even have a business to work in!

Some days the boys had to question and change life long beliefs and attitudes just to get through the day and hit our quota of street balls for the Liberty Kitchen markets while at the same time delivering covers (50 + lunches) for the Officers mess.

Upon release, things changed again in relation to my role with Liberty Kitchen. The challenges increased and my adjustment back to my life outside and all of the new responsibility that that threw up can't be underestimated. Commuting. Time management. Money management. Dealing with the general public. And, the weather! The transition was tough at times but beneficial as I was able to access extra support from Liberty Kitchen's many friends.

I'm very aware that some of the guys who were released at about the same time weren't in a position to get the extra help available to me. Thanks to Liberty Kitchen my transition was made a lot easier. This kind of help is very important and is often the difference between somebody reoffending and going back to prison or successfully making the transition to becoming a productive law abiding citizen. Liberty Kitchen gave me new hope that i could happily change and maintain my future.

HOW WE DO IT - feeding hope, changing lives

We create the opportunity for people in prison to gain real-world skills, build personal belief, support mental health and choose positive pathways back into their communities through food-based experiences.

PROVIDING VOCATIONAL SKILLS

A 10-week programme, created by a professional chef, and trainer focused on all aspects of running a catering business, starting with a Food Hygiene Level 2 qualification and leading to developing recipes which make it on to menus for events and markets / OR a job!

A business course to explore peoples thinking around their own business ideas and creating a business plan , leading to and IOEE Certificate

RUNNING 'REAL WORLD' VOCATIONAL EXPERIENCES

Being part of a work team designing recipes, producing ‘the food ready for sale

Through the Gate’ experiences working with Liberty Kitchen markets team (all former inmates) to build ‘at work’ skills and disciplines in a supportive environment

Rebuilding links with communities - supporting at events, festivals, corporate catering etc

BOOSTING CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM

Building life skills – teamwork, communications, time management, peer to peer training and personal impact are covered

Enhancing self-discipline – setting personal goals, committing to the programme and monitoring progress

Working ‘in the prison’ at events where they are regarded as an outside catering team

Fostering self-belief - developing innovative street-food/catering recipes, generating new products i.e. sauces, COVID NHS lunch boxes and sweets

Working as a successful, externally recognized team - Evening Standard, Time Out, RSA publications, Delicious Magazine and 2019 winner of BBC R. 4 Food and Farming Best in UK Street food award

MAKING POSITIVE FUTURE CHOICES

Making a plan for further development with mentoring & therapeutic support

Career planning pre-release for employment

Providing professional work and character references

Offering employment opportunities/work experience on release at events and on market stalls

Providing access to start up loans if setting up their own stall/business

MM's STORY

Six months in and a member of the second Pentonville Liberty Kitchen team MM is interviewed in his cell and reveals his secret passion to become a Chef. Months later upon release he joins Switchback where he builds his skills as a Chef & trainer @ the Crisis Café. In his down time he jumps in to work with LK @ festivals, events & sometimes the stall. Meanwhile, he’s cooking up a storm in some of London’s top restaurants from Marco Pierre White to One Canada Square. Today he continues to straddle both worlds – giving back to help train other prison leavers while building his knowledge as a Chef.

FL's STORY

Liberty Kitchen is serving its street-balls at a Criminology Graduation in Pentonville when approached by a participant who declares a love for food and asks if there’s the chance of a job. Luckily, there’s a space and FL leaps onto the stall. COVID strikes. And FL is one of the LK team along with MM who produce 1000s of lunch boxes for medics on the frontline @ the Royal Free Hospital. FL is talent spotted by the Prison Reform Trust and departs for a job in the Prison Engagement team. Despite this, FL stays in touch and involved helping out at fundraising lunches, corporate away days and most recently LK’s first Bar Mitzvah.

DS's STORY

Few of the inside team are getting out. Many have no court date. And those who do are likely to get long sentences. Curiously, the latest LK trainer (Caterer & Chaplaincy counsellor) is contacted by a former Pentonville mentee anxious for work. Street food is not his first choice but he likes the vibe and recognises it’s a stepping stone to other opportunities. No longer quite so shy DS now chats with customers, cook and serves with style. Happily, he is now juggling LK with Greene King thanks to a link with Pentonville’s Employment Hub. Going forward we wonder if he’ll become a footie coach!