Main content

A fresh start

The bakeries, cafes, bars and restaurants employing staff with criminal records or history of addiction.

There are bakeries, cafes, bars and restaurants around the world which don’t just exist to serve up food and drink – they're on a mission to rebuild lives.

Ruth Alexander hears the stories of risk, reward and redemption from three businesses on three different continents:

At The Dusty Knuckle bakery in London, the trainee programme manager Charlie Atkinson explains why she thinks a cafe and bakery is the perfect place to foster team spirit.

Reporter Gideon Long visits La Trocha in Bogota, Colombia, a bar and cultural centre run by a group of former Farc rebels.

Rob Perez and Mindy Street of DV8 Kitchen in Lexington, Kentucky, US, talk about how they’ve won over customers.

Producers: Hannah Bewley and Sam Clack

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

(Image: hands kneading dough. Credit: Getty Images/ ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½)

Available now

26 minutes

Last on

Sun 4 May 2025 17:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 1 May 2025 03:32GMT
  • Thu 1 May 2025 10:32GMT
  • Thu 1 May 2025 17:32GMT
  • Thu 1 May 2025 21:32GMT
  • Sun 4 May 2025 08:32GMT
  • Sun 4 May 2025 17:32GMT

Food Chain highlights

Tea, coffee, spices, chillies ... snack on a selection of programme highlights

Podcast