A chef has revealed the reality of working in a prison at Christmas as he is one of thousands who will be ‘behind bars’ over the festive season. Steve Allsop, a catering supervisor from HMP Littlehey, joined the prison service in 2003 and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the kitchen which includes the prisoner workforce.
Steve said: “The nature of our job means we need to have staff working every day, all year round. Everyone knows that prisons have faced challenges. When I first joined HMP Littlehey, it was tough and on my first day I felt out of my depth. But it’s amazing how quickly I found my feet. When you work in difficult circumstances you build such a strong connection with those around you and that’s what has kept me in the team. My hard-working colleagues are like family to me.
“Working Christmas isn’t for everyone but I’m really proud to have the job I do working on the frontline and will celebrate Christmas after I’ve finished my shift. My family are used to my job and are really proud of me, so they understand.
“Although it’s a 365-day operation in a prison, the support you get from your colleagues is brilliant and it makes working over Christmas so much easier. We have such a unique bond and camaraderie at HMP Littlehey and we’re always willing to help each other out if needed.”
Steve added: “Christmas Day can be a tough day and the regime runs as normal. Everyone in the prison is away from their families and it’s a very different environment to most days, but I’m proud to do my bit.”
Far from just being responsible for preparing meals for prisoners, prison caterers work directly with them, helping them learn valuable new skills they can use when they return to their communities. The focus of HMP Littlehey’s work is to keep the prisoners and public safe, and staff help by being role models for prisoners and someone they can talk to.
All prison catering staff are trained to work safely and effectively with prisoners. Prison caterer roles also promise more stability, with staff benefitting from greater job security and a public sector pension as they help produce around 90 million meals across the prison estate every year.
HMP Littlehey is looking for people who have experience of working in a large kitchen environment or catering for large numbers of people. Applicants also need good communication and team working skills, and to want to develop others.