'First Dates' maître d's charity unveils new restaurant in Staffordshire women's prison
The West Midlands hospitality sector could gain access to a new supply of trained staff thanks to the opening of a new training restaurant inside a women's prison.
Minister Dearden and Fred Sirieix visit HMP Drake Hall to see Flavours Unlocked, a newly launched staff and educational training restaurant located within the prison. Picture by Alecsandra Dragoi / BIST.
$CTA *The Right Course, a charity founded by Channel 4 ‘First Dates’ maître d’ Fred Sirieix, opens its first restaurant in a UK women’s prison. *Backed by Hilton and the Government’s Hospitality Support Fund, it will train prisoners in hospitality skills to build genuine pathways to employment. *Programme will also provide a new supply of trained staff for the hospitality sector, helping cut long running shortages and reducing reoffending by giving prisoners skills and employment opportunities. $CTA
Restaurants, pubs and hotels across the West Midlands could gain access to a new supply of hospitality trained staff thanks to the opening of a new training restaurant inside a women’s prison at HMP Drake Hall by charity The Right Course.
Founded by maître d’ Fred Sirieix, the new restaurant ‘Flavours Unlocked’ will provide industry-standard training, recognised qualifications and direct links with employment, giving participants a pathway into secure work once they leave prison, reducing reoffending and making our streets safer.
This includes through companies such as hotel group Hilton, which has contributed expert trainers and shared its practices to ensure participants are trained to the highest possible standard. The programme is also backed by funding from the Government’s £1.5m Hospitality Fund operating over 2026-27, with additional funding to support training from the Government’s new Hospitality Grant Scheme.
The opening was attended on Monday by Minister for the Future of Work, Kate Dearden, as well as Sirieix and other prominent leaders helping turn around lives and hospitality businesses.
Minister for the Future of Work, Kate Dearden said:
Hospitality is a vital part of Britain’s economy, but businesses need access to skilled, dedicated staff to succeed.
“The Right Course is a fantastic charity, improving the lives of its participants. Working with charities and employers, we are determined to unlock talent wherever it is found and allow people to build a better future for themselves, businesses and their communities.”
Catherine McKinnell, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, said:
Prison must be a punishment, but it must also give offenders the tools to turn their backs on crime for good.
Education and employment are vital to that mission, and programmes like The Right Course show what can be achieved when prisons, charities and businesses work together to help offenders build better lives .
That means fewer people reoffending, fewer victims and safer streets.
Fred Sirieix, Founder and Trustee of The Right Course said:
By working in partnership with industry leaders like Hilton, and the prison regime, we are creating the right environment for our learners to turn their lives around, to gain the confidence, skills and aspirations needed to positively contribute to society.”
I want our graduates to be the best so that our employer partners snap them up and see them as valued members of their team. It’s up to our new learners to seize this opportunity.
Stephen Cassidy, Senior Vice President, UK & Ireland, Hilton, said:
At Hilton, our mission is to create opportunities for all and break down barriers to employment.
Through our partnership with The Right Course, Flavours Unlocked is helping bring that commitment to life by giving women in custody practical hospitality training, industry skills and a clearer route into work.
For our industry, it is also a powerful reminder that talent can be found in many different places, and that with the right support, hospitality can open the door to meaningful, long-term careers.
Hospitality is a vital UK industry, a cornerstone of all our lives. However, the sector faces numerous challenges that requires multiple approaches for it to thrive. The Right Course offers one practical way to provide the sector with a pipeline of trained and engaged staff ready to work, while giving people who have spent time in prison a second chance, cutting reoffending and helping them build transferrable skills such as communication, customer service and teamworking.