The number of people in prison in the UK has risen from a little over 50,00 in the mid-nineties to about 85,000 today with that number forecast to rise further.  In the process prison sizes in the UK are increasing. HMP Berwyn, opened in 2017, is the UK's largest prison (and the second largest in Europe) with 2,100 inmates.

We have been helping to feed the custodial sector for more than 20 years. We've worked in prisons throughout Britain and Northern Ireland and seen the changes for ourselves.

Kitchen sizes are increasing in line with the augmented size of prisons, but the main elements of his work have remained unchanged. Supplying and fitting catering and bakery equipment in a prison is much like working in any other commercial setting - apart from the obvious need for security at all times. So-called "sterile" environments such as new build or closed facilities are easier to work in than in the middle of an operating prison kitchen, but the WhitCo team has plenty of experience of both.

At the same time WhitCo have also supplied and installed training kitchens to help inmates build a career in the catering industry outside by gaining NVQ qualifications. Some UK prisons have gone so far as to open and run successful commercial restaurants on site to train staff to gain valuable experience.

It's not always plain sailing though. MD Tony Butler's personal experience includes being locked in for his own safety during the course of an incident at one prison. However, it hasn't lessened his enthusiasm for working in the sector

Just like any catering establishment prisons need to be able to rely on the quality of their equipment, and count on a speedy and reliable service when things go wrong. And in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a closed community, the supply and provision of good food, often with a local or ethnic bias, is immensely important.