A Vegan Christmas Behind Bars at Britain’s Top Security Prisons

Prisoners in some of Britain’s top security jails were afforded a unique culinary experience on Christmas. This year, Category A prisons in England, including HMP Belmarsh, HMP Full Sutton, HMP Manchester, and HMP Wakefield, were offered a diverse array of vegan and traditional options for their festive meals.

Inmates at HMP Belmarsh had the opportunity to indulge in a Christmas feast that included vegan steaks, nut roasts, fresh Greek salads, pies, pizzas, sausage rolls, bakes, and goujons. The Christmas menu at Belmarsh had spanned multiple choices for each day, providing a range of options such as Quorn roast, and vegan pies.

Traditional Christmas offerings had not been forgotten, with HMP Full Sutton presenting inmates with a menu featuring a variety of choices, including chilled halal options and healthy dishes like vegan nut roast and soy cottage pie. On Christmas Day, inmates enjoyed options like a ‘homemade’ vegan Wellington, halal chicken legs, and roast turkey with all the trimmings, followed by desserts like vegan or traditional Christmas pudding with vanilla sauce. At HMP Manchester, the menu was similar.

HMP Wakefield, known for its high-risk inmates, had not been left behind in the festive celebrations. Inmates could have enjoyed a Christmas Day lunch featuring cauliflower chickpea and onion bhaji pasty, halal turkey, brie, and sweet potato pie. The festive tea choices included a vegan sausage roll or a mini pork, apple, and black pudding pie, accompanied by a ‘grab pack’ of assorted goodies.

Despite the festive atmosphere within these prison walls, concerns had been raised about the strain on the prison estate. The Howard League for Penal Reform had highlighted the system’s under-resourcing and understaffing, making it increasingly unable to provide basic levels of safety for staff and inmates. The Ministry of Justice, however, had insisted that the Prison Service was committed to providing three varied and nutritious meals a day, meeting religious, cultural, and medical needs.

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