The company which runs the restaurant in HMP High Down has scooped an award at the food industry’s equivalent of the Oscars.

Alberto Crisci, founder and trustee of The Clink Charity, was presented with Education and Training Award last week’s annual Caterer and Hotelkeeper awards – The Cateys.

The Clink, located with High Down in Sutton, is the first and only commercial restaurant to be built inside a working British prison to date.

Since the restaurant was opened in 2009, more than 200 prisoners have gained NVQs in cooking, cleaning, and front-of-house service and many have been offered hospitality jobs after their discharge.

The Catey judges said: “We particularly admired the way Alberto got a new project off the ground and put together a development strategy that could enhance many industry sectors, succeeding in an area where some others had perhaps given up hope.”

The open plan kitchen can be viewed from the restaurant, which seats more than 100 people, offering the guests the opportunity to watch food preparation.

All of the furniture has been designed and constructed by prisoners and their poetry is displayed on the glass windows around the restaurant.

The Catey awards were presented at a ceremony at the Grosvenor hotel in London on Tuesday hosted by Cold Feet actor James Nesbitt.