Prisoners are having meal kits delivered in a bid to improve their diets – and their cooking skills.
The jail-made alternative to Hello Fresh and Gousto boxes contain staples such as pasta, rice and tinned tomatoes as well as “easy to prepare” veg like green beans and peppers. A source said: “This could be the start of a culinary revolution.”
Referring to the 70s TV prison sitcom Porridge, they added: “But God knows what Fletch and Godber would have made of these boxes. The whole thing sounds like a plotline from a Christmas special.”
The meal kits were introduced after some cons raised concerns about putting on weight during the Covid lockdowns.
They are being trialled at HMP Drake Hall women’s jail in Eccleshall, Staffs, and could be rolled out nationwide. A recent Independent Monitoring Board report said in-cell snacking and a lack of recreation time had led to bulging waistlines.
Millions of Brits who aren’t confident in the kitchen subscribe to food firms like Hello Fresh and Gousto, which send out regular meal boxes containing all the necessary ingredients and idiot-proof instructions.
Last week, we told how another prison is giving slow cookers to lifers to encourage them to eat healthier grub.
The Ministry of Justice said: “Therapeutic schemes cut re-offending, which protects the public and saves taxpayer cash.”
