Enjoy fine dining cooked by convicts at Clink prison restaurant

Cardiff - Fancy a fine dining experience with a difference? The Clink Cymru prison restaurant, due to open in September in Cardiff, won't feature porridge on the menu. Thirty convicted cons will cook for and serve the public under the watchful eye of CCTV.

When the Clink Cymru opens its doors for business in September it will be the second UK prison restaurant operated by the Clink Charity in conjunction with the prison service. Thirty convicts will be employed in the 96-cover restaurant, earning a princely £14 for a 40-hour week. Award-winning chef Alberto Crisci is named by Wales Online as the "brainchild" behind the restaurant. He explained: “It’s all about quality food and service, there is no gimmick to it. We want to try and stand on our own two feet as a dining experience and be seen not as competition by other restaurants, but as a sort of recruitment agency so prisoners can go on to find work in quality establishment, develop pride and motivation and provide well for themselves and their families.” Whilst prisoners must meet certain criteria to earn a place on the workforce, with sex offenders barred, diners will not need to undergo any security clearance. CCTV and an alarm hooked up to the prison suffice as security. Prisoners will bake their own bread, cook up such delights as trio of Welsh pork and saddle of rabbit, and even produce their own honey. For those whose appetite is whetted enjoy a taste of the sample menu. Alcohol won't be on the menu though. At the end of each shift the prisoners will return to their cells but reports fail to mention if they will tuck into prison food or enjoy the fruits of their labour.