Alberto Crisci

Alberto (Al) left school at 17 and went to Merton College for two years to train as a chef, gaining his City and Guilds qualifications in food preparation and food service, before going to Italy to work in Rimini. Here he worked in a hotel gaining experience in the kitchen, bar and restaurant.

Al later returned to the UK and worked in the Mirabelle Michelin star restaurant in London as a commis chef, before he joined the Regent Crest hotel as banqueting head chef for two years. He then went on to set up his own restaurant and wine bar in Croydon which he ran for eight years.

In 1994, Al joined High Down prison as a chef and worked his way up to Catering Manager in 1999, serving 2000 meals a day. He introduced the NVQ training programme in the main kitchen at High Down and set up gourmet lunches four or five times a year for potential employers to come in and dine. A table was set up in the store room where potential employers came in to eat and meet the prisoners.

In 2005, the prison was expanding and Al was asked by the Governor how he wanted to develop the catering department. This is when the idea of The Clink Restaurant was born.

In 2007 Al’s team was awarded a Butlers Trust Award, presented at Buckingham Palace, for Education & Skills Training.