An unforgettable evening of Brummie culinary excellence has raised a staggering £27,665 for Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Chefs for Charity saw two of the second city’s greatest culinary heroes join forces for an exclusive dining experience to raise funds towards Acorns lifeline care for seriously ill children and support for their families.
The exclusive event, hosted at University College Birmingham (UCB), saw 85 guests come together to enjoy the finest in dining from MasterChef: The Professionals 2021 winner and Acorns Ambassador Dan Lee, alongside Alex Claridge, renowned Head Chef of The Wilderness and star of The Great British Menu.
Dan said: “It was such an honour and a privilege to be part of this incredible event. It was an absolute pleasure to cook alongside the UCB students and the infamous Alex Claridge!
“It was an amazing night overall for a fantastic cause, topped off by being able to raise a stunning amount of money. Special thanks to everyone who made it possible.”
Alex added: “What an immense achievement of Brummie excellence for one the city’s important charities. I’m chuffed that my team and I were able to play our part. I’ve visited Acorns – you should too – because the work they do is humbling and means so much to the children and families they support.
“I got to spend an evening with Dan, which is reward enough, so to pair that with helping raise such a tremendous contribution to Acorns tireless work is the cherry on top. It was great to also work alongside the latest cohort of UCB’s culinary talents – they did a great job. Hospitality’s future is in safe hands.”
The event, which took place on 15 October, was organised by Acorns Ambassador Harriet Giles of Dishoom and long-time supporter of the charity Prof. Paul Cadman and was held in collaboration with University College Birmingham (UCB).
Guests were treated to a series of six mouth-watering courses expertly crafted by Dan and Alex with support from UCB’s promising culinary students, who received a standing ovation for their outstanding efforts.
Harriet Giles said: “The night was a huge community achievement across the hospitality sector. It was an honour to raise such an incredible amount of money for such a just cause, which wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of so many people.”
All funds raised from ticket sales, the raffle, and an on-the-night auction will go directly towards Acorns vital care for children with life limiting or life threatening conditions across the West Midlands.
Louise Skidmore, Fundraising Manager for Corporate Partnerships at Acorns, said: “What an incredible evening! We’re completely overwhelmed by the response. The difference this fundraising makes is life-changing for the children and families we support.
“The Chefs for Charity event shows the true power of the community when kind-hearted people come together for those in need. Every year at Acorns, we provide care for over 700 children in our region. But so many more need us and help can’t wait. We can only be there for them with support like this.
“A huge heartfelt thank you to Dan Lee, Alex Claridge, University College Birmingham, our event organisers and sponsors, our dinner guests and everyone who made this unforgettable evening possible. Your generosity means we can continue to ensure families caring for seriously ill children never have to do it alone.”
Professor Paul Cadman, Steps to Work CEO and Director of the Technology Supply Chain C.I.C, added: “The business community came together to raise a fantastic amount of money for Acorns Children’s Hospice, a very worthy cause. I would like to give personal thanks to UCB and in particular Mark Payne who made a considerable donation on the evening. Thank you.”
Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care for more than 700 babies, children and young people every year from its three hospices in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester and in the community, as well as support for around 1,000 families, including those who are bereaved.
The charity needs £35,000 each day to provide its children’s hospice care, with two thirds of that amount coming from generous donations and fundraising by the local community.
To find out more about how you can support Acorns care for local children and families, visit www.acorns.org.uk