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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Sarah Butler

‘Employment’s the best way to stop reoffending’: the boss of ready meals firm Cook on the ‘talent’ in prisons

Rosie Brown poses for a photo in front of a bank of wall-mounted catering ovens
Rosie Brown: ‘We have a very strong independent streak.’ Photograph: Sonja Horsman/The Observer

Rosie Brown, the boss of Cook, never planned to be a chief executive. First, she trained as a nurse, then tried her hand at politics; then banking. But having struggled at first to find her niche, Brown now leads a ready-meal business ranked as the country’s best place to work in food and drink, and is looking to help others find their way in the world of work.

Last year, the co-CEO of the ethical frozen food business took over from shoe-mending-chain boss James Timpson as chair of the Employment Advisory Board network, a government-backed programme started by Timpson which works with more than 90 prisons.

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