‘It pays dividends’: Jonny Whitfield of the Clink Events on why prison leavers make a loyal workforce

Your Foodservice Cateys win recognised the charity’s social impact, including training 850 students, delivering 650 qualifications and placing 63% into employment. What happens to trainees after they complete the Clink’s training programmes?

We have about 30 people in a mixture of full-time and part-time employment. We want people to come out of our training projects having got that paid work experience and use it as a soft landing while they adjust to life in the community. We want them to move on.

We get them work at a range of places. At the premium end of the market is the Royal Lancaster London, which is a very good employer of students coming through us. Other places include caterer Compass Group and chain restaurants, such as the Vietnamese restaurant chain Pho or Rosa’s Thai – they are both great employers.

There is much talk of labour shortages and recruitment challenges in hospitality. Do you think the industry is overlooking prison leavers and disadvantaged young people as an untapped talent pool?

Absolutely, 100%. The industry is getting better at changing its perspective on who makes a good worker, but I think it could certainly be far more open to looking at some of these individuals from marginalised, deprived backgrounds.

All companies want a bit of longevity with their employees; they want someone they can train and see a return on their investment, rather than someone who flips between jobs or jumps ship every six to 12 months. The individuals we work with are loyal because they have often struggled to get solid, meaningful work. If the industry is more open to investing time in these individuals, instead of expecting everybody to be a highly polished candidate, they will see it pays dividends in the end.

Environmental sustainability is clearly a major focus too. Can you tell us more about the move to your new head office and production kitchen? 

We moved into our new head office in Herne Hill in south London in August 2024. The move was because the business was growing and we wanted to employ more people through the Clink’s training programmes.

“There’s no reason why you can’t run a very successful business and ensure you’re giving 50% of your profits back to your cause and still retaining something for the business itself”

The building was an empty shell, which meant we could create a space with our catering business needs in mind while prioritising sustainability and energy efficiency. Previously, we operated from a government-controlled building, where the heating switched on and off at set times of the year, so having control over each room’s energy use was important to us. We also invested in modern, efficient kitchen equipment and moved to an all-electric operation powered by a renewable electricity tariff. As a result, we’ve reduced our operational energy use by 20%. Those were important choices for us, our clients and the venues we work with.

You’ve committed to eliminating single-use plastic packaging and aiming for a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030. What are the biggest challenges in achieving that?

It’s about working with the supply chain. There are areas where it is hard to find alternatives, but I think we’ve made great progress in not using single-use plastic cups or cutlery. However, have food producers, for example, moved at a similar pace on how they package their food when they come to us? Possibly not.

What do you think the future of socially responsible hospitality looks like?

It would be good to see other social enterprises in the sector. There’s no reason why you can’t run a very successful business and ensure you’re giving 50% of your profits back to your cause and still retaining something for the business itself. Unfortunately, we’re up against a lot of companies that are privately owned who can put a good story out there. But do they really follow through on what they say? Certainly not on the same scale as to what we deliver.

What’s the next ambition for Clink Events?

To have our own fixed-site events venue where we would be the sole caterer, as that would provide work opportunities for those coming through our projects.

Do you have what it takes to win a Foodservice Catey?

There is still time to enter your business for the CSER Award at this year’s Foodservice Cateys. Take a look at how to enter the awards, and you could be lifting a trophy on 9 October 2026.