On Monday 14 November, 10 chefs who appeared on MasterChef: The Professionals will be coming together for the first time to pay homage to their driving forces behind their passion for cooking by hosting a five course dinner with all proceeds going to Dementia UK.
MasterChef: The Professionals in 2013 finalist, Adam Handling, will host the charity dinner at his debut solo restaurant in Shoreditch, The Frog E1, with its newly refurbished terrace. Adam will be one of the 10 chefs creating a dish for the event.
This inspired dinner has been organised by 2015 finalist Andi Walker as a tribute to his grandmother, Nanny Pickles, who suffers from dementia. Andi owes his passion for food and cooking to his grandmother, explaining that Nanny Pickles was his biggest supporter in encouraging him to pursue his dream of becoming a chef at a very early age.
The chefs taking part alongside Adam and Andi will be 2015 contestants: Mark Stinchcombe, Nick Bennett, Darren Sivewright, Scott Barnard, Danilo Cortellini, Bobby Retnakumar, Joey O’Hare, Dean Westcar and Gavin Barnes, who all share the same raw desire to create and cook innovative dishes.
There will be five courses being prepared by the 10 chefs – five of the chefs will serve one half of the guests, and the other five chefs will serve the rest of the room. Although each course will include the same main ingredient, there will be two completely different menus served around the table, and you can swap, share, or steal the dish of your choice.
Andi says “As those who have a loved one with dementia will know, it’s a horrible illness for anyone to have – let alone your hero. We’re all going to cook up a storm to raise money for this amazing charity on the evening and remember those who have inspired and cheered us on, I can’t wait!”
Dementia UK does fantastic work every year in offering specialist one-to-one support and expert advice for people living with dementia through their world-class Admiral Nurses. They work collaboratively with families to help them cope with the difficult everyday reality of Dementia. The money raised by the event will go towards increasing the number of nurses across the UK.
Adam Handling – owner of The Frog E1
Adam culinary journey started at Gleneagles as the first ever trainee chef, after which he went on to become Fairmont’s youngest ever Head Chef, culminating in winning Scottish Young Chef of the Year 2011. After opening “Adam Handling at Caxton”, the restaurant gained a coveted three rosettes from the AA, Adam has now gone on to open The Frog E1 in Shoreditch this year, a relaxed restaurant which showcases Adam’s distinctive cooking style – combining technical savvy with the best possible produce and a lightly theatrical touch.
Andi Walker – Executive Chef at Blue Group
Starting work at 16 in his local hotel, Andi went on to train under Anton Edleman and Martin Nisbet at Anton’s in Great Hallingbury. He then took on the Head Chef position at The Cambridge Quy Mill, Andi, where he won the restaurant 2 Rosettes in the first 6 months. Having also worked as Head Chef at Cambridge’s King’s College and Tuddenham Mill under Lee Bye, Andi has recently become Executive Chef of the Blue Group, where he is running his pop-up events across Essex.
Mark Stinchcombe – Head Chef at Eckington Manor
Mark is the current champion of MasterChef: The Professionals, having claimed the title in the 2015 series. Beginning his fine-dining career at Michelin-starred Driftwood in Cornwall, Mark has also undertaken stages at some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world – The Fat Duck, Le Manoir and The Square. Mark met his wife at Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham, where after travelling the world together on a gastronomic culinary adventure, the pair co-run the kitchen at the extraordinary Eckington Manor.
Scott Barnard – Sous Chef at The Grove Hotel
Scott began his culinary career Barnfield College in Luton, where after he has worked in a number of establishments across Herts, Beds, and Bucks for over 15 years. In November 2007 he began working in Colette’s restaurant at The Grove Hotel in Watford, where he has progressed through the ranks to become Sous Chef.
Dean Westcar – Senior Sous Chef at Lucknam Park
Born and raised on a small farm in South Africa where his parents grew their own vegetables, Dean moved to the UK in 2004 where he went straight into the kitchen. He began working at The Royal Chase Hotel in Dorset, where his passion for food ignited. Having worked at The Manor House Hotel under Richard Davies, Dean is currently Senior Sous Chef at Lucknam Park under Hywel Jones.
Joey O’Hare – Hare On the Hill
Joey O’Hare trained at the Ballymaloe Cookery School and at Westminster Kingsway College in London. She has worked as a chef for 8 years, both in London restaurants and in private homes across the UK and abroad. Her style of cooking is veg-centric and seasonal; Locally grown vegetables are at the heart of Joey’s food and always take centre stage; meat and fish are used, lovingly, in moderation. Following Masterchef the Professionals Joey launched Hare on the Hill, a seasonal, veg-centric supper-club in London.
Nick Bennett – Sous Chef at Restaurant 56
Originally from Leamington Spa, Nick Bennett is the Sous Chef at the highly acclaimed fine dining Restaurant 56 at Faringdon’s Sudbury House Hotel. He became known to millions when he reached the finals of BBC2’s MasterChef: The Professionals screened on Christmas Eve 2015. Nick has previously worked and the then Michelin-starred Curlew Restaurant and Mallory Court Hotel.
Gavin Barnes – Head Chef of Hotel Terravina
Having previously worked as Sous Chef for Alex Aitken at Le Poussin at Parkhill, Gavin is currently Head Chef of the New Forest’s Hotel Terravina. He has undertaken stages with some of London’s most respected chefs, including Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social and Gordon Ramsey’s Maze Grill Royal Hospital Road.
Danilo Cortellini – Head Chef at the Italian Embassy
Born in Abruzzo, Danilo started his career in San Domenico in Imola and Perbellini in Isola Rizza, both awarded with 2 Michelin stars. Having worked as Head Chef at Esprì in Colonella, he arrived in London in 2010, where he became the Sous Chef of Dolada in Mayfair. In March 2012 he was offered the position of Head Chef at the Italian Embassy, where he still works. After opening his own catering company in 2014, Danilo was a finalist in the 2015 edition of MasterChef: The Professionals.
Tickets, include a five-course tasting menu with added extras on the evening.
To book your ticket click here
For more information about Dementia UK click here