The Clink restaurant will remain open following a competitive commercial procurement process, meaning it will continue to operate until at least 2030.
Located in the old governor’s house dating back to 1819, the restaurant is open to the public and allows the students to learn, engage with the public and take their first steps towards a new life.
All the leather upholstery and boardroom tables are made by people in prison at HMP Frankland, according to the charity.
The Clink Charity, which aims to reduce re-offending rates of ex-offenders by training and placing graduates upon their release into the hospitality industry, opened the restaurant within HMP Brixton in 2014.
There had been fears that the restaurant would close after it was revealed that the charity had to resubmit a tender for the contract.
“It is no secret that 2025 has been a difficult year, not only for The Clink, but also for the wider charity sector – and indeed for the Ministry of Justice,” says Donna-Marie Edmonds, chief executive at The Clink Charity.
“What is so clear, from the 11 years The Clink at Brixton has been operational, is that it rebuilds lives, reduces re-offending, and changes perceptions as to what people in prison can achieve.
“We take our responsibility as custodians of this pioneering and special programme very seriously, and we look now to the future by continuing the crucial work that The Clink was founded to do.
“On a personal note, I would like to say a huge thank you to The Clink Charity team, our Trustees, our funders, partners, suppliers, our colleagues in the team at HMP Brixton, and of course to the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS.
“We could not do what we do every day without you and your support means the world to us.”