News & Updates
From custody to careers: UK’s first women’s prison hospitality academy celebrates first graduates
5th March 2026
Marston’s is celebrating a major milestone as the first cohort of trainees officially graduate from the Hope & Anchor at HMP Styal, the UK’s first commercially-led hospitality academy inside a women’s prison.
This first cohort saw six trainees graduate, after completing a rigorous 12-week programme to equip them with the skills and confidence needed for Line Chef roles across Marston’s pubs upon release.
The newly graduated cohort will now move into the next stage of the programme, where Marston’s teams will support each graduate into employment opportunities across its nationwide estate, helping them transition into work and continue their personal development within the business and in the wider industry.
It has been a particularly impressive start for one of the graduates, who has already secured a placement within a Marston’s pub.
Opened in partnership with Novus Education and the New Futures Network, the Hope & Anchor training academy offers women at HMP Styal the opportunity to gain hands-on culinary and front-of-house experience in a purpose built, fully operational training kitchen and restaurant.
The academy is the latest addition to Marston’s pioneering Excel programme, which supports prison leavers into meaningful, sustainable employment. Since launching in 2022, more than 90 prison leavers have secured roles with Marston’s through Excel, with retention rates averaging significantly above the sector average.
Todd Lockley, Senior Inclusion & Communities Manager at Marston’s, said:
“Seeing the first graduates complete their training at the Hope & Anchor is incredibly special. This academy was created to give women at HMP Styal genuine opportunities to build confidence, learn new skills and take meaningful steps toward a fresh start.
“To have been able to offer a placement within one of our pubs already for one of our graduates is testament to the project’s values and we can’t wait to see how they progress at Marston’s.”
Data shows that offering employment to a prison leaver reduces the chances of re-offending by up to 87%, with Marston’s aiming to increase the number of graduates employed across its pubs by 25% this year.