High Down prison restaurant the Clink wins three SRA stars
The Clink at HMP High Down has been awarded the Sustainable Restaurant Association's highest accolade, a three-star sustainability rating.
The 92-cover restaurant (below) was the first to serve meals to the public inside prison walls. It is run by chief executive Chris Moore and director of operations Alberto Crisci MBE, who unlocked the doors on the second Clink at HMP Cardiff this month.
Both restaurants provide a real working environment for prisoners and an opportunity attract potential employers. HMP High Down impressed the SRA in all three main areas - sourcing, environment and society.
It sources more than three-quarters of vegetables and salad from within the prison walls (where the prisoners are trained in horticulture), and all the meat is free-range. All food waste is composted, while the restaurant features rainwater harvesting and efficient dishwashers.
The Clink joins an elite three-sustainability-star group that includes Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage restaurants.
Crisci said: "It is so important that restaurants are responsible when it comes to sustainability and it will remain of great importance to us to continually improve how and where we source our produce from, how we can reduce waste and protect the environment."
Moore added: "Having joined the SRA in 2010 to help us in our mission of being more committed to a sustainable future, it is great to see that the hard work and continuous desire to improve the restaurants sustainability has paid off."
The Clink hopes to launch second prison restaurant in Cardiff >>
FCSI members donate £100,000 of equipment to Clink's second prison restaurant in Cardiff >>
Antonio Carluccio to host Clink fundraiser >>
By James Stagg
E-mail your comments to James Stagg here.
Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs
Looking for a new job? Find your next job here with Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs
