By Denis Sheehan MIH, Publisher, H&C News: Five female chefs form a ‘one night only’ brigade for Hospitality Action.
Some of the country’s most talented and admired female chefs will be coming together for the first time to cook up a mouth-watering menu in aid of Hospitality Action at Deer Park Country House near Honiton, Devon, on 6 March.
Great British Menu (GBM) veteran judge Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Executive Chef at Michelin-starred Northcote in Langho, Lancashire, and this year’s winner of the Catey’s Chef Award, will be joined by four former GBM competitors from the South West of England and Wales to cook up a dazzling menu in aid of Hospitality Action.
Joining Lisa at the dinner, which takes place during the same week as International Women’s Day 2023, are fellow GBM stars Olivia Barry of Adelina Yard in Bristol, Devon-born chef Charlotte Vincent, Cindy Challoner, chef-lecturer at Coleg Gwent and Elly Wentworth of the Angel in Dartmouth.
The evening will be hosted by fellow GBM chef Jude Kereama of Kota and Kota Kai in Porthleven, Cornwall, who cooked at the GBM final banquet in 2021. Jude will be interviewing the chefs after dinner.
For the first time, the five female chefs will come together for an evening of delicious dining to raise vital funds for those in the hospitality industry on the brink of poverty or suffering with poor mental health due to the skyrocketing cost of living crisis, 80% energy price cap increase or hospitality staffing crisis.
On Monday, 6 March, guests will be treated to a truly phenomenal dinner prepared by the chefs and overseen by Lisa Goodwin-Allen. The evening will commence with a drink and canapé reception, followed by a six-course meal, including wine, where each of the chefs will create one signature dish. A cheese course is being supplied by The Newt in Somerset.
Guests will also have the chance to join the prize draw and auctions to get their hands on exclusive experiences and overnight stays, with all proceeds being donated to Hospitality Action.
Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Executive Chef at Northcote, commented: “As a long-time supporter and advocate of Hospitality Action, I am only too aware of the high levels of financial and physical support the charity is currently having to give to beneficiaries. Fundraising events such as this guest chef dinner are absolutely critical so that we can help more and more people who have fallen on hard times.”
Mark Lewis, Chief Executive of Hospitality Action, said: “We are grateful to our guest chefs, who will be delivering an amazing menu that demonstrates their incredible talents. All proceeds from the evening will help Hospitality Action to provide grants to families that are in the grip of poverty, and often suffering from poor mental health.”
“Since the start of the pandemic, our grants have put food on the table and keep the lights on for over 7,500 hospitality households across the country. And it’s only thanks to the generosity of our chefs and guests that we’ll be able to meet the surge in demand this winter will surely bring.”
Tickets for the Chefs Dinner at Deer Park Country House cost £125 per person or £1,200 for a table of 10 and are available here from the Hospitality Action website. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Stuart Mathieson at sdmathieson1@gmail.com.
Deer Park Country House is an exclusive-use country estate on the outskirts of Honiton, Devon, and is a recent winner of the 2023 Condé Nast Johansens ‘Best for Weddings, Parties & Special Occasions’ award.
To find out more about Hospitality Action and upcoming events visit: www.hospitalityaction.org.uk/events.
