It’s a hot and glorious Thursday afternoon when I find myself at Wilderness Festival in Oxford, surrounded by bejeweled revellers with some of the poshest accents I’ve ever heard. Mary Berry and Sophie Ellis-Bextor can be seen mingling in the VIP area of the Veuve Clicquot tent. Yummy mummies and dishy daddies ply their children with organic fruit ice pops. I sip on a £12.50 Patron tequila cocktail, and think of how this must be the bougiest place I’ve ever set foot in. But away from the almost overwhelming froufrou of the festival, a most unlikely discussion is being had: what is prison food like?
The question emanates from a panel led by Alex Head, the founder of Social Pantry, a London caterer that provides ex-offenders with the opportunity to reintegrate into society. She’s been joined by Lucy Vincent of Food Behind Bars, a charity working to improve food in prison, and Rob Morrison, an ex-offender and co-host of the Banged Up podcast.
