video. In Marseille, Baumet’s prison opens its restaurant to the public

This is a unique restaurant in France. Here, two-thirds of the staff are inmates. They are all at or near the end of their sentences and earn 45% of the minimum wage per month. Welcome to Beaux Mets, which is attached to the Boumets prison in Marseille but is open to the public. Today, the leader Leo Troisgros came to give a cooking class to the teams. “We see new people, we work, it creates the rhythm of life. And I’m learning a trade. (…) It’s a great job, I like it” Detained for five months, Osama testifies. Here, the reservation rules are a bit specific: criminal records and identity of customers are checked. Small consumers and cell phones are also prohibited inside the establishment.

“He takes great pride in his work, and it’s very enriching for him and for us.”

“I am very grateful because I didn’t know how to work, I didn’t know how to do anything, I didn’t know how to express myself.” Another prisoner, Alaideen, comments. Sandrine Soulier is the chef at Les Beaux Mets restaurant. She explains: “They have much more motivation. Their first desire is to get out of the cell, but when they are here, it is to learn. (…) The discipline that exists in the kitchen can teach them rigor, to respect work rules and also team coordination. Can teach. Down there, they may not be best friends, but here, they have to stick together” “Sometimes, it’s the little details that change lives, and we’re here to provide those details.” Mark Balthazard concludes Hotel Beaux Mets.