The British prison service has arguably little to shout about, where overcrowding is a serious problem. One of Her Majesty's prisons however, has added a little bit of star quality to its usual dour interior. The Clink is a brand new restaurant to open up at High Down prison is Surrey, offering a chance for the outside world to see just what goes on behind the iron bars.
The Clink, which opened on 10th May this year, is the brainchild of the exuberant chef Alberto Crisci, who is prison catering manager and former of the luxurious Mirabelle restaurant in Mayfair. Crisci's idea was to create an arena in which the best and most trustworthy inmates could learn a trade and serve up more interesting dishes than mashed potatoes and peas.
The restaurant, serving up pan-European cuisine in very chic surroundings is regarded as a training facility as well as a top-class restaurant. Here inmates can earn themselves an NVQ qualification, setting them on a better path for their life on the outside.
Some may be wondering whether it was taxpayer's money which went into creating this top-end restaurant, but the further £300,000 that was needed to fund the venture came from charitable donations from institutions interesting in rehabilitating prisoners, according to the prison governor, Peter Dawson.
The Clink is open to prison staff and their families, but also to outsiders who are interested in supporting the venture. Training groups, journalists and charities are among the types welcome at the gourmet restaurant.
Dawson, said: "I will be interested in hearing from people who have a legitimate interest in prison to come in and visit The Clink.
"For example, we have already had an expression of interest from the local Rotary Club and I believe that would be legitimate because we will be able to ask those people if they are interested in employing former offenders."
One drawback is the fact that metal cutlery is entirely banned in the restaurant, due to the potential problems this could cause if any knives and forks were to find their way back to the cell blocks. Wine is also surveyed and can be arranged for special occasions, but is not readily available, due to the restraints regarding bringing alcohol into prisons. Crisci explains that bread making provides a unique challenge, as yeast can be used to make alcohol, thus it has to be carefully monitored also.
The chef is aware that only the best inmates work in his kitchens, yet the problems lie if any of the items get taken back into the prison. However, he says his team are an extremely promising bunch:
"Once I started working with the inmates and saw their talents and got to know them I realised they are like you and me, the only difference is that they made a mistake, committed a crime and ended up in prison. I could see that some of them, with help, could easily turn their backs on crime and get a job on the outside. There are different levels of ability here, there are at least two guys here who could hold their heads up in any Michelin-starred restaurant."
Sheila Dillon from the BBC's Food Programme gives great insight into the world of The Clink in this online broadcast.