A perfect June evening greeted those lucky enough to attend last night’s Hospitality Action Patron’s Dinner at one of London’s most celebrated hotels, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.
Madeleine Calon, President, The Society of Golden Keys of Great Britain presenting a cheque for £11,110 to Hospitality Action CEO, Mark Lewis
The hotel gardens provided the perfect setting to enjoy pre-dinner champagne and canapes as guests arrived for the fundraiser. Those assembled in the garden saw Madeleine Calon, President of The Society of Golden Keys of Great Britain present a cheque for £11,110 to Hospitality Action’s CEO, Mark Lewis.
The brigade assembled on the night were some of the UK’s most celebrated chefs and comprised Jason Atherton, Nigel Haworth, Paul Heathcote MBE, Tom Kerridge, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Michel Roux OBE, Alain Roux and Gary Usher.
Each chef contributed to two bespoke four-course menus, with signature dishes from their respective restaurants. Both options for each of the four courses were a celebration of our industry at its best, creative, diverse and complimentary. The dessert course saw a pairing of Gary Usher’s brown butter honey custard tart, alongside, Teardrop of milk chocolate mousse with a caramel and mango filling served with mango sorbet from Michel Roux, OBE. This pairing was a fitting way to end the gastronomic delights served throughout the night. Our compliments to all the chefs.
Before and after dinner, Hospitality Action Chief Executive, Mark Lewis, presented the organisation’s powerful new campaign alongside Hospitality Action’s Principal Patron, Jason Atherton, Tom Kerridge and Michel Roux OBE, which launches in July. The campaign features hospitality people across a range of roles celebrates the nurturing and supportive cause at the heart of the charity’s efforts.
Part of the campaign features video interviews with people across our great industry that have benefited from the support provided by Hospitality Action when it is needed most, crisis point. To see and hear the gratitude from people who desperately needed help was humbling, the message resonated around the room.
Michel Roux, OBE in a poignant address to the room reminded us that we are family, the campaign centres on this, showing how through Hospitality Action we look after our own.
Brian Turner CBE hosted an auction that saw many of the guests compete for a range of hotel and restaurant experiences. One being dinner in the pass at Jason Atherton’s City Social with Jason Atherton cooking alongside Pierre Koffmann, a deservedly hard fought bidding battle ensued.
The evening was a huge success raising over £32,000 for our industry’s charity, it was also a lesson in hospitality from Amanda Hyndman and team Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.
Above all it was an evening that provided food for thought, how we as an industry can be proud of what Hospitality Action does in our name, and how we as an industry can support Hospitality Action in continuing to do what it does so well.