Quakers in Britain have announced a deal with Bad Boys Bakery, the social enterprise formed from a ‘reality’ television series in prison, to stock the bakery’s produce in their award-winning restaurant.
The Quakers’ restaurant at their Friends House venue in central London is serving Bad Boys Bakery desserts on Fridays. The restaurant was recently a winner of a Sustainable Restaurants Award 2013.
Bad Boys Bakery formed in Brixton prison from a television programme, Gordon behind bars, presented by chef Gordon Ramsay in 2012. The bakery sold Gordon Ramsay’s version of a lemon treacle tart, which was later changed to a lemon treacle slice. The programme was part of an initiative to teach cooking skills to inmates as well as to set up a business that would sell goods made in the prison to the general public.
The lemon treacle slice has been sold in the Caffe Nero chain across south London. There is no news yet as to whether the bakery will be making Quaker cake, a delicacy most often found in north London.
Along with the lettings business and Quaker Centre cafe, the restaurant at Friends House is part of a trading business that raises revenue for Quaker work and in 2012 the business made a Gift Aid donation of £294,000 to support Quaker work.
As well as supporting Quaker work, the lettings business also supports the wider Quaker community with discounted provision of rooms at their venue, worth almost £150,000 per year.
Although I live on the other side of the planet I think this is a great idea for Friends to endorse and encourage. A few years ago I visited the Greystones Bakery at Yonkers run by Zen Peacemakers as a social enterprise. It makes chocolate brownies for Ben and Jerry ice cream, itself and ethical company. As a guided pathway into employment, training and skills for those living prison or life on the streets it’s a beacon of hope as well as raising money for other community programs. This initiative could open the door to a new style of Quaker capitalism and community capacity building. In Christ Gregory Adelaide South Australia