Blanc, Loubet and Palmer-Watts collaborate for annual Christmas charity dinner
The dinner – which takes place annually and always involves extremely high-profile chefs ‒ will take place on 5 December, and will be again hosted by Park Plaza executive chef Walter Ishizuka.
Tickets will cost £135 per person, or £1,300 for a table of ten, and are available via the Hospitality Action website or from shaqenvfvat@ubfcvgnyvglnpgvba.bet.hx.
Blanc is best known for his two Michelin-starred Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, while Loubet used to work alongside Blanc before going on to open Grain Store in London’s King’s Cross.
Palmer-Watts originally worked with Heston Blumenthal before opening Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London, and last year operation Dinner in Melbourne, Australia.
Blanc, patron of the charity, said: “Christmas is a time of celebration to be shared with loved ones, friends and family. Yet it is renowned that for most people working in hospitality they are not only away from home but put in long hours and hard work over the festive season. This extra stress can sometimes lead to difficulties and it is here Hospitality Action can lend a helping hand.”
Penny Moore, chief executive, Hospitality Action, explained that the charity was honoured by the chefs’ involvement, and said: “We always look forward to the merriment of Christmas as we reflect on the past 12 months and prepare for the year ahead. Of course, the festive season can be a difficult and lonely time for many so by attending this extraordinary event you really will be making a direct difference to those in need across the hospitality industry.”
Festive fundraising
The dinner joins the calendar of pre-Christmas fundraising events for the charity, which also includes the annual Christmas online auction from 1-9 December, and even earlier than that, a ‘Sporting Legends Lunch’ on Friday 18 November in Manchester, offering a change to meet sports stars including Ryan Giggs.
Hospitality Action seeks to help past and present hospitality workers, both financially and emotionally, who have fallen on hard times. In 2015, it spent over £632,000 on support, and also runs its all-year-round Employee Assistance Programme across 100 companies and 100,000 employees.
