First Dates' Fred Sirieix launches new restaurant run by HMP Lincoln inmates
TV personality Fred Sirieix has launched a new restaurant inside a prison where all the servers are inmates.
The First Dates presenter opened the HMP Lincoln restaurant, called Bertie's, as part of the rehabilitation work he does with his charity The Right Course.
Bertie's, named after the prison's deputy governor, will be the first in the country to allow prisoners to be joined by their families to share a meal during visiting hours.
The 51-year-old TV presenter said: "If you are in prison, something has gone wrong at some point and we have to take responsibility and we have to give opportunities to people.
"We have to teach people how to do the job like a pro. Hard work will always beat talent. Enthusiasm is half the battle."
The charity had previously opened two similar outlets in prisons in London and plans to open five more this year.
The scheme offers selected inmates the chance to achieve City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in catering and front-of-house qualifications in partnership with the training provider, PeoplePlus.
Mr Sirieix said that he hoped the scheme will teach inmates the "ABC of restauranting".
He added: "We are going to do everything we can in order to equip them for life on the outside and that means these guys have to be as good as anyone in the world."
Mr Sirieix helped to orchestrate operations during the restaurant's opening on Monday, 22 May, when guests were served a three-course meal made up of a smoked salmon starter, lasagne and sticky toffee pudding.
After the launch, he said: "Today was great. It was a baptism of fire. I got a bit excited but I can’t help that."
One prisoner said: "We’ve been working as a team, it’s been hard as well but we have done it.”
Another added: “This course has made me more confident and helped me speak to people better."
The initiative also hopes to both reduce re-offending among inmates and plug the shortage of hospitality staff across the country, with the Office for National Statistics claiming that there are 132,000 vacancies in the industry as of this month.
Damian Hinds, the prisons minister, said: "Giving prisoners a better chance of getting a job works – it cuts crime, saves taxpayer money and protects the public.
"Our work with The Right Course and Fred Sirieix is helping prisoners learn skills from the best in the industry that will help them find work when released."
The Ministry of Justice said that 56% of those trained and released at The Right Course’s ‘Escape’ restaurant in HMP Wormwood Scrubs have since found employment.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.