This November, The Great Coast-to-Coast Charity Dinner will take place for the first time at The Alverton, a luxury hotel hidden in the heart of the city of Truro, to celebrate Cornish food and drink with Hospitality Action, a very special charity, at the centre of it all.
With a mission to support and assist all who work, or have worked, within the hospitality industry in the UK, many of whom have fallen on hard times – be it financial, physical or mental – Hospitality Action is a helping hand when help is needed.
In a true celebration of everything Cornwall’s coastline has to offer, some of the county’s leading chefs will be taking over The Alverton’s kitchen for the evening of Thursday, 27th November.
Visting chefs include many stars of BBC Two’s Great British Menu – Kota and Kota Kai’s Jude Kereama, The Sardine Factory’s Ben Palmer, St Enodoc’s Guy Owen, 2018’s South West Chef of the Year Tim Kendall, and The Alverton’s very own Executive Chef Nick Hodges.
The chefs will be preparing a five-course menu, which will be served in the hotel’s historic Great Hall, a room that dates back to 1830, highlighting the very best seafood, grass-fed meats and harvest available across the Duchy in a culinary experience to delight. The menu, curated by some of the county’s top chefs, will be accompanied by an alcoholic pairing carefully tailored to each dish.
“Since 1837, Hospitality Action has delivered vital assistance to all those in the hospitality industry within the UK, so naturally the charity is rather close to our hearts,” explains The Alverton’s Managing Director, Ben Young. “With such fantastic local talent at the helm, and some incredible Cornish produce at our fingertips, we couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate and support the work of this wonderful cause.”
Tickets cost £90 each with all proceeds being donated to Hospitality Action. What’s more, all ticket holders will receive a 10% discount should they choose to stay the night at The Alverton.
More information and how to purchase a ticket can be found here.
About the chefs:
Jude Kereama, representing West Cornwall
Born and raised in New Zealand, Jude Kereama moved to the UK in 1996. Half Maori and half Chinese Malay, Jude has wowed diners with his unique style of cuisine at Kota, one of the county’s leading restaurants, and its family friendly sister restaurant Kota Kai for many years. The holder of three AA rosettes, he has been named Chef of the Year and recognised for a Special Contribution at The Trencherman’s Guide Awards. He has represented the south west on four occasions in BBC Two’s Great British Menu, and in 2021 made it the final banquet as the highest-scoring runner-up where he served canapes and pre-desserts to 70 guests celebrating innovation and invention.
Guy Owen, representing North Cornwall
Guy was born in Hampshire and moved to Cornwall with his family when he was just seven years old. Coming from a family of cooks, Guy was always destined to be in the kitchen. He started his career in kitchens in Cornwall, but his first experience of Michelin-starred cooking came when he went to work at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s. He went on to work at La Trompette, Gidleigh Park and under Chris Eden at The Driftwood Hotel. Prior to joining St Enodoc Hotel in 2020, he was head chef of the Idle Rocks and St Mawes hotels for five years, during which time the Idle Rocks won Seafood Restaurant of the Year.
Tim Kendall, representing South Cornwall
Tim started his journey at Cornwall College St Austell, and, during his time there, staged at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, later joining the team permanently as a commis chef. A year later, he moved to London to work for Marcus Wareing and was part of the opening team at The Gilbert Scott at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. He then joined Michel Roux Jr at the two Michelin-starred Le Gavroche before returning to Cornwall, where he gained experience and completed further stages. By January 2017, Tim had joined The Idle Rocks in St Mawes, working under Guy Owen, and was promoted to head chef at the end of 2018. In January 2020, Tim and his wife launched The Barley Sheaf in Gorran, where he showcases the best local and seasonal produce. In 2022, they also took on The Rising Sun at Altarnun near Launceston.
Ben Palmer, representing East Cornwall
Ben Palmer grew up in Looe, Cornwall, and always dreamt of having his own restaurant on the harbour. He trained and worked his way up the ladder at Barclay House, Looe, but took time off to complete chef stages at Whatley Manor as well as short periods of time learning from the likes of Tom Kerridge (Hand and Flowers) and even Gordon Ramsay (Royal Hospital Road). He went on to appear on Masterchef: The Professionals, in 2011, finishing in the quarter finals, aged just 25. He then became Head Chef for The Tanner Brothers at The Barbican Kitchen, where he worked for two years. Ben’s next role was as Executive Chef at Glazebrook House (South Brent), before he bought Tanners in 2014 with his now wife, Francesca, and The Greedy Goose was born. In 2018, Ben went back to Looe and purchased The Sardine Factory. Four years later, he opened Yamas – a Greek restaurant inspired by his frequent visits to Kalamata. In 2023, he competed in BBC Two’s Great British Menu and took his winning dish all the way to Paris for the banquet.
Nick Hodges, The Alverton
Falmouth born and bred Nick started cooking when he was 15-years-old, before going on to train under culinary legends Keith Floyd and Jean-Christophe Novelli. Always keen to work, travel and experience different cultures and cuisines, he later headed off to Australia, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Still in his early 20s, Nick returned to open his first restaurant, Powells Cellar in Falmouth, quickly becoming a local favourite and was soon awarded two AA rosettes and an entry in the Michelin guide. Following this, Nick headed up the kitchens at The Headland Hotel, The Rosevine, and The Beach Hut at Watergate Bay. After a chance meeting, Nick took on the franchise at Lusty Glaze Beach, where he refined his coastal food style while teaching students at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Foundation.
Returning to the south coast, Nick took up the reins at The Greenbank Hotel as Head Chef, restoring the business to its former glory. In 2018, he handed the kitchen over to Bobby Southworth and became Executive Chef of The Greenbank, Alverton and Penventon Hotels, and, most recently, the newly acquired Falmouth Hotel. The group now proudly sits under the banner of The Cornwall Hotel Collection.
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