UK’s First Hospitality Academy Opens In Women’s Prison

Pub company Marston’s has pioneered a hospitality training academy inside a women’s prison in Cheshire to provide offenders with the skills and confidence to secure meaningful employment opportunities after their release.

Image: Marston's

Named the ‘Hope & Anchor’, the UK’s first commercially-led hospitality academy will support and train up to 32 women each year for Line Chef roles at HMP Styal.

The recruits will gain hands-on experience within a purpose-built kitchen and restaurant inside the prison, according to Marston’s.

The development, in partnership with Novus Education and the New Futures Network, forms part of Marston’s wider commitment to providing inclusive recruitment, supporting prison leavers, care leavers, people with disabilities, and veterans into meaningful, sustainable employment across the UK.

Image: Marston's

The Hope & Anchor builds on the success of Marston’s Excel programme, which the company said has helped nearly 80 prison leavers secure jobs since 2022, and achieved retention rates well above the industry average.

The Excel programme includes the Lock Inn at HMP Liverpool and the Crown & Key at HMP Stoke Heath. 

Over the next year, Marston’s aims to increase by 25% the number of ex-offender graduates employed across its pubs. 

“Getting former offenders into stable work is a sure way of cutting crime and making our streets safe,” stated Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending.

“Hospitality partners like Marston's are leading the way – helping prisoners gain the skills and confidence they need to turn their lives around and break the cycle of reoffending,” he added. 

The launch of The Hope and Anchor marks a significant milestone in Marston’s expansion of inclusive training and employment opportunities for all.

“Establishing the first hospitality academy within a women’s prison is not just about equipping individuals with practical skills and job opportunities,” explained Todd Lockley, Senior Inclusion & Communities Manager at Marston’s. 

“We’re also supporting rehabilitation through meaningful careers, reducing reoffending and empowering participants to build brighter futures within our industry.”