Catered by Clink

Delivering breakfast, lunch and canapé boxes to homes and offices throughout the country.

What the Clink Charity aims to achieve

The Clink, a charity which aims to reduce re-offending by training prisoners in the hospitality business, has introduced Catered by Clink. This new social enterprise delivers breakfast, lunch and canapé boxes to homes and offices throughout the country. Well known for its award-winning restaurant and bakery at HMP Brixton, The Clink also has a well-established events division, providing top end catering at large events.

Jonny Whitfield, managing director at Clink Events, says, “We often received enquiries for companies seeking catering for smaller numbers, so we knew there was an interest.”

What is included in the new initiative

The new initiative gives employment opportunities for inmates from Downview Women’s Prison near Sutton, Surrey, as well as students graduating from the Clink Café which is staffed by vulnerable young people at risk of becoming offenders.

“We wanted a career progression route for those people who had finished their 12-week training course at the Clink Cafe, but hadn’t had enough training or experience to work on larger events, where things are more fast-paced and complicated,” says Jonny.

Catered By Clink supplies offices and homes with ready-to-serve sandwich and canapé platters and salads delivered in attractive presentation boxes, each for eight to 14 people. “Unlike our other events business, clients don’t need us to supply the drinks or staff. The biggest so far has been for 150 people while the smallest was 10. We started in City of London and within the M25, but companies asked for deliveries in other offices around the country and before we knew it, it was nation-wide.”

The inmates from Downview women’s prison are trained in the events business. They have between 18 to 24 months left to serve on their sentence. The Clink is an accredited City & Guilds site so the qualifications students attain are NVQ levels one, two and three and are equal to a college education.

Life after prison with Clink

Graduates of The Clink training schemes are 60% less likely to offend when they leave prison. Jonny believes this is because they learn new skills, gain qualifications and are helped to find employment. “We support them every step of the way from compiling CVs, securing them with an interview with a hospitality business and helping them with the interview process. Employment is the key reason these people don’t re-offend. For some of them, it might be their first legal job.”

For the first six months an inmate leaves prison and works in a new job, The Clink keeps in touch with them and the new employer to check everything is going well.

For the employer, a Clink graduate offers many benefits. Jonny says, “Our graduates tend to be loyal and stay with employers much longer. They recognise the opportunity they’ve been given. Having stability and security in a job is amazing to them as they’ve never had it before.”

Employers have included London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel, Wahaca the Mexican food chain, the RSC Club, Institute of Directors and Benugo.