While prison meals may not be regarded as fine dining, many catering teams across UK jails make an effort to mark the festive season for inmates behind bars
Lucy Letby sentenced to whole-life order
Christmas dinner is a highlight of the festive season for many Brits, who enjoy a hearty roast surrounded by family. But for the UK’s most infamous inmates, Christmas will be very different.
In 2023, the average daily spend on prisoner meals was just £2.68 – less than your average high-street coffee and certainly a challenge when it comes to rustling up a traditional Christmas feast. Despite this, many prison catering teams across the UK strive to bring some festive cheer to those behind bars, such as those atHMP New Hall, HMP Woodhill, HMP Wakefield and HMP Frankland – via a Freedom of Information request.
These institutions house some of the nation’s most dangerous criminals, including serial killer Rose West, triple murderer Levi Bellfield, disgraced rapist cop Wayne Couzens, prolific necrophiliac David Fuller and Robert Maudsley. HMP New Hall in Flockton, West Yorkshire, is where Rose West is currently serving her sentence for the murder of at least one young woman.
The prison also once housed baby killer Lucy Letby before she was transferred to HMP Bronzefield in early 2024. Star Hobson’s tragic mum Frankie Smith is also serving her sentence at the 381-capacity jail, reports the Mirror.
HMP New Hall
This year for Christmas lunch, inmates at HMP New Hall will get to choose from:
- Moroccan vegan roast
- Salmon & dill fishcake
- Roast turkey with pigs in blankets, sage and onion stuffing
The three lunch options all come with roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and carrots, and gravy. For dessert, inmates can pick between Christmas pudding or fruit salad served with ice cream.
For their tea, West and other inmates will get to pick between:
- Vegan cheese and pickle stottie
- Egg mayo stottie
- Ham and tomato stottie
Other items on the menu include Christmas cake crisps, gingerbread tiffin apple juice, biscuit and coffee.
HMP Frankland
HMP Frankland, in County Durham, is home to more than 800 prisoners and has been dubbed ‘Monster Mansion’ due to many of its inmates being convicted murderers, high-risk sex offenders and those guilty of terrorism-related offences.
Killers Levi Bellfield and Ian Huntley call ‘Monster Mansion’ home. Frankland opened in 1983 and only holds male prisoners who are over 21 years of age, and whose sentence is usually four years or more, as well as life sentences and high-risk remand prisoners.
The most recent Christmas menu from 2023 and is full of festive delights.Prisoners have these choices for Christmas lunch:
- Vegan festive cranberry casserole
- Halal diced pepper beef casserole
- Roast turkey and gammon chipotle sausage and stuffing
- Salmon and sauce
And for dessert, inmates will get to pick between Christmas pudding and custard or a fruit cocktail.
For their Christmas Day tea, Bellfield and Fuller will get to choose between:
- Spicy bean Mexican roll
- Cheese savoury roll
- Tuna mayo roll
- Chicken pasta salad
HMP Wakefield
HMP Wakefield is home to some of the UK’s most infamous killers and vile criminals.
Notorious rapist Reynhard Sinaga and Lostprophets paedophile Ian Watkins are among the dangerous inmates housed in this high-security prison. One of the most feared inmates is Robert Maudsley, who has been incarcerated since he was 21 for the murder of convicted child molester John Farrell, 30, in 1974.
Maudsley, who has killed several fellow prisoners, was rumoured – without proof – to have eaten the brains of his victim. Deemed extremely dangerous, Maudsley has spent over 16,500 consecutive days in isolation, confined in an underground glass box.
For Christmas lunch this year, inmates will get to pick between:
- A festive vegan slice
- Potato, spinach, cheese and chive roll,
- Halal hot and spicy chicken fillet
- Roast turkey, stuffing fall and sausage wrapped in bacon
The side options also include:
- Roast potatoes
- Sprouts
- Carrots
- Gravy
Inmates will also get the choice to have a vegan Christmas pudding and white sauce.
For their Christmas tea, prisoners will get to pick between:
- Vegan sausage roll and vegan strip bap
- Halal sausage roll and halal turkey and cheese bap
- Sausage roll and turkey and ham bap
All prisoners get a grab pack that includes a fruit cake slice, apple juice, gingerbread reindeer, mince pie, a bag of crisps, satsuma and a packet of biscuits.
HMP Woodhill
HMP Woodhill, located in Milton Keynes, has been likened to the infamous Alcatraz prison in California. Specifically designed to accommodate some of the UK’s most dangerous and violent criminals, this category A prison has been operational since 1992, witnessing a plethora of hardened criminals.
Among its most notorious inmates is Charles Bronson, dubbed ‘Britain’s most violent prisoner’. Prisoners at HMP Woodhill will have a selection of food to choose from for their Christmas lunch, including:
- Moroccan-style vegan roast
- Non-Halal sliced turkey
- Cajun-spiced sweet potato roulade
- Halal half chicken
- Salmon and dill fish cake
- Non-Halal Pig in blankets
- Banana
- Cranberry gravy
- Roast potatoes
- Yorkshire Pudding
- Mixed vegetables
- Vegan sausage roll
- Pork cranberry stuffing gourmet sausage roll
- Cheese and onion slice
- Halal chicken balti Pie
- Tuna mayo
- One can drink
- One sandwich bap
Dessert options include:
- Mango and orange ice smoothies
- Chocolate bar
- Chocolate-coated ice cream Christmas tree
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