Sodexo partners with Combat2Coffee to offer job skills at HMP Altcourse

Sodexo UK & Ireland and Combat2Coffee have opened a new coffee roastery and staff café at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool. 

The move is aimed at giving prisoners the chance to gain qualifications and work experience before release. 

Sodexo is working with Combat2Coffee on the Clean Slate Café initiative, which includes a roastery and packaging facility inside the prison. 

Up to 10 prisoners will be employed to grind, roast and package Combat2Coffee’s blend using fairtrade and sustainable beans from Brazil.

Prisoners can also gain qualifications in cookery, barista skills, food safety and customer service, with training tailored to individual needs and sentence length. 

Sodexo expects up to 40 prisoners to earn around 100 qualifications in total. 

The coffee will be sold in the prison to staff, prisoners and visitors, with plans to supply other Sodexo sites including prisons and military locations.

Tony Simpson (pictured, left), chief operating officer justice at Sodexo UK & Ireland, said: “By introducing a coffee roastery and packaging facility within the prison as well as the opening of a new café, we are supporting our Starting Fresh programme which aims to provide prison leavers with the skills and confidence to secure employment upon release.