An Army marches on its stomach they say, so it’s entirely appropriate that on the 2nd October, London’s top chefs will be cooking up a five-course feast to raise money for troops wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Chefs for Heroes gala dinner is being spearheaded by The Lanesborough’s chef de cuisine, Paul Gayler, and dished up by an ‘army’ of chefs from the City of London’s top restaurants including Andrew Bennett (Sheraton Park Lane), Gary Klaner (Landmark Hotel), Martyn Nail (Claridges), Paul Bates (Intercontinental, Hyde Park Corner), Simon Young (The Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Knightsbridge) and Matthew Marshall (Chamberlains Events).
They will be joined on the night by many of TV’s favourite chefs who will host a limited number of tables. Imagine exchanging recipes and pleasantries over dinner with Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc or Heston Blumenthal – all of whom are on the guest list! Other celebrity guests include Graham Wellesley, Jeremy Clarkson and Andy McNab.
Having cooked for Royalty and pop icons such as Madonna, Mariah Carey and the late Michael Jackson, Paul’s team of the finest chefs will be serving up the most sumptuous menu (using only the finest and freshest ingredients) to London’s glitterati in a bid to raise £250,000 for Help for Heroes, a charity Paul felt compelled to help after his son Lee was shot in the leg whilst serving with the Territorial Army in Afghanistan.
Paul says, “The situation in Afghanistan is forever in our minds with casualties reported almost daily in the news. Hospitals like Selly Oak and rehabilitation centres like Headley Court are having to deal with ever-increasing numbers of injured servicemen returning home in need of their care. As a father of a wounded soldier, I will be forever grateful for the brilliant care Lee received at the hands of the Headley Court team.”
Help for Heroes raises funds needed for services and facilities like Headley Court to exist. In the next year, the charity aims to raise £20m to fund seven “Hero Recovery Centres” across the UK, providing homes where the wounded can recover, re-skill, and prepare to return to their lives.
The markets of London are kindly donating the ingredients for the evening’s menu, so the proceeds from attendance go direct to Help for Heroes and the true beneficiaries – the returning wounded heroes.
Tickets can be booked at www.chefsforheroes.org. Anyone wishing to sponsor or otherwise get involved in making this evening a success can email richardb@looktothestars.org.
