Top chefs join line up for second Belazu Virtual Banquet

The second cookalong, in aid of industry charity Hospitality Action and the Belazu Foundation, will be hosted on 4 December, with chefs creating festive vegetarian recipes in their kitchens for participants to follow at home.

Dishes that will be part of the menu include a starter of folded eggs with baked pumpkin, chestnuts and harissa butter from Ollie Dabbous; Eyal Jagermann’s Cauliflower jaffa style; black rice salad with braised celeriac, fennel and endive from Jeremy Lee; and Ixta Belfrage’s harissa grilled oyster mushroom skewers with crushed chickpeas and salsa verde.

Dessert will be a date and ricotta self-saucing pudding from Ravneet Gill.

The event follows Belazu’s inaugural Virtual Banquet in May where guests raised £60,000 for charity Chefs in Schools.

“COVID-19 has triggered an existential threat to the future of the hospitality industry and, this winter, employees are facing poverty and even homelessness,” says Mark Lewis, chief executive of Hospitality Action.

“During the last seven months we have been able to support thousands of hospitality families when they have had nowhere else to turn.

“With funds raised via Belazu's Virtual Banquet this December, we will be able to provide ongoing grants and expert advice to the hospitality world in the run up to Christmas."

The evening will be hosted by Code Hospitality editor and food editor of the Sunday Times Lisa Markwell with low alcohol Spritz by cocktail mixologist and founder of La Maison Wellness Camille Vidal.

Tickets are priced at £90, which include all the ingredients needed for a cocktail and a multi-course dinner, and are available to buy here​​.