Glasgow prisoners get Christmas cooking class from Masterchef winner
PRISONERS at a Glasgow facility have received Christmas cooking classes from a Masterchef star. Gary Maclean, winner of the BBC’s Masterchef: The Professionals, and Scotland’s national chef, has been holding festive cookery workshops at the new Lilias Community Custody Unit.
They were organised to help the women feel confident in buying, preparing, cooking, and serving their holiday meals.
The celebrity chef gave up his time free of charge to provide demonstrations and tastings, supported by staff and thirdsector partners.
Newly built, the custodial unit puts far greater emphasis on reintegration and rehabilitation by using custody in the community rather than the traditional idea of jail.
The women are supported to live with a greater degree of independence, and this includes buying and cooking their own food.
It is designed to improve their life skills ahead of their reintegration into the community and reduce the risk of reoffending.
Mr Maclean visited the Maryhill facility on Tuesday,
December 13, after being invited by Jamie Bryceland, catering manager.
He said: “We are really grateful to Gary Maclean for coming in and sharing his knowledge and experience with us.
“It was an excellent
demonstration and I know the women learned a lot and will have benefitted enormously from it, especially just before Christmas.
“Many of our women are about to cook their first Christmas dinner for years. When they are liberated, they may
be cooking for children or grandchildren, partners or friends.
“We want them to have the life skills to be able to do that and more, so they leave here feeling confident that they have all the ingredients they need to succeed.”