What Strangeways prisoners in Manchester are eating for Christmas dinner in 2022 - including vegan options

Prison is not the most appealing of places to spend Christmas Day, but inmates in Manchester can at least enjoy a range of decent-sounding grub on 25 December this year.

Strangeways (now renamed HMP Manchester) is home to around 680 inmates, and is a high-security jail with a mix of Class A and B prisoners within its Victorian walls. A Freedom of Information request to the Ministry fo Justice has revealed what prisoners can expect on the menu when they wake up on Christmas Day 2022 - with plenty of options to choose from on the menu.

They will start the day with a continental breakfast which includes a choice of cereals including cornflakes, Rice Krispies, porridge, Frosties or Coco Pops, toast, milk and a brew pack with four teabags and sugar.

There is then a choice for inmates for their main Christmas dinner from a menu. Option A features roast turkey with stuffing, roast potatoes and baby potatoes, seasonal vegetables and a single pig-in-blanket, topped off with gravy.

Option B includes tandoori chicken legs marinated in spices and served with Bombay potatoes, boiled rice and chappati bread.

Option C offers something for vegetarians and vegans, with a Quorn meat-free roast, roast potatoes and baby potatoes, seasonal vegetables and gravy.

For pudding, there is then Christmas pudding with white sauce, or Christmas cake.

Finally, the third meal of the day is described as Christmas tea, where inmates can again select from three choices. First is a tuna crunch wrap with a sausage roll, scone, cheese and crackers, orange cookie, chocloate yogurt and a banana. Option 2 swaps the tuna wrap for a chicken and sweetcorn wrap while option 3 includes a beetroot, carrot and chickpea wrap and veggie sausage roll.

An MoJ spokesman said: “Meals in prisons over Christmas are paid for from within the existing budget and at no extra cost to the taxpayer. Prison rules require that prisoners are provided with three meals a day that are varied and nutritious and that meet the religious, cultural, and medical needs of all.

“HMPPS is working closely with catering managers and suppliers to ensure best value for money at a time of rising food prices.”

It was recently reported that the city council has contacted the Government asking if Strangeways can be closed and moved out of the area as the Grade II listed Victorian building is no longer deemed fit for purpose or extension.