At his majesty’s pleasure: Greene King invests in two more prison kitchens

The pub company and brewer says the two sites will train over 60 prisoners per year in hospitality skills and are part of its commitment to hiring 400 prison leavers by the end of 2025. 

The investment from Greene King builds on its two previous prison kitchen programmes​​ at HMP Thameside and HMP Grampian. 

Each kitchen emulates a Greene King kitchen and delivers bespoke, accredited training programmes through a mix of classroom learning and practical sessions. 

Greene King says the programme will help to build confidence and teach prisoners about food safety practices, kitchen hygiene and maintenance, allergens and the importance of time management and teamwork, with the aim that they can take up a role with Greene King on leaving custody.

Greene King launched its Releasing Potential programme in May 2019 to support those leaving prison to find employment with the company following their release from prison. So far Greene King has hired 260 prison leavers through the programme, with the aim of hiring a total of 400 by the end of 2025. 

Greene King works with more than 65 prisons across the UK, providing information and support for prisoners to develop their skills in food preparation, customer service, barista training and housekeeping to prepare them to potentially work in Greene King pubs and hotels upon their release.  

As part of its ongoing commitment to hiring prison leavers, Greene King became one of the first employers in the UK to take part in a pilot programme offering apprenticeships to prisoners in open prisons in October 2022. 

 “The opening of our two new training kitchens in HMP Onley and HMP Perth is a really important part of our continued commitment to offering opportunities to everybody, regardless of their background. With pubs at the heart of local communities across the country, we are in a unique position to provide a range of jobs nationwide," says Greene King CEO Nick Mackenzie (pictured above). 

“The new kitchens are a vital next step in our Releasing Potential programme that is helping to provide prison leavers with the employment and skills they need to build long-term careers in hospitality and successfully rehabilitate. I’d like to thank to all of those who have worked hard behind the scenes in making this possible and I look forward to welcoming more candidates to the Greene King family thanks to the academies and programmes.” 

Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, added: “Greene King are recruiting in a way that changes lives and can be good for business too. Releasing Potential is the perfect name: many people who leave prison have the potential to become great colleagues. They can be hard working, reliable and committed to doing a great job."  

“We know what a difference an opportunity makes to people and their families too. It helps people pay the rent, repair relationships and build self-esteem. At the MoJ we’re committed to being great partners for business so that, together, we can make this difference to more and more people. We’re proud of what has been achieved with Greene King already and excited about the future.”