Only A Pavement Away (OAPA) and Chef Tom Kerridge, are excited to announce the launch of Cook and Dine, the ultimate dining experience for the hospitality industry. The special fundraising lunch will take place on Wednesday 29 January 2020, from 2pm – 5pm, at a central London location to be announced shortly.
Cook and Dine is the brainchild of OAPA’s founder, Greg Mangham, and the premise is simple; to bring everyone who works in the hospitality industry together, no matter their background, experience or seniority.
The intention is that the event will be fully funded with all offers of help welcomed. OAPA is now calling for interested industry parties to come forward to offer sponsorship or auction prizes.
Greg said: “This will be a showcase for our industry where we prove that no matter where you come from, or who you are, you can eat together, serve together and cook together. The menu, which has been exclusively designed by Tom Kerridge, will be cooked by Tom’s team. The front-of-house and back-of-house roles will be a mix of OAPA members and industry figures.
Tickets cost £50 per person or £500 per table, with all proceeds from this event going to OAPA. Over the next year, the charity aims to help a further 250 homeless people find work. There are currently 32 employers signed up and participating in the programme, however, in order to reach the goal of helping 250 people find employment, OAPA will need to raise £250,000 in development and operational funding. To achieve that, it is looking for more hospitality businesses to partner with and offer employment to the homeless, vulnerable veterans and ex-offenders, as well as funding from industry backers.
There are various sponsorship opportunities available for Cook and Dine, including: Headline Sponsor – £20k
- Category Sponsors – £5k each
- Venue
- Drinks (wine, beer and soft)
- Food supplier/s
- Starter
- Main
- Dessert
- Photography
- Drink Reception Sponsor – £2.5k
- Donations for auction and raffle prizes
Greg added: “I wanted to create an annual event that celebrates and showcases all that is great about working within the hospitality industry. Cook and Dine will be a fun way to demonstrate that no matter what your background is, you can be part of a team and develop a lifelong career. I am so excited to be working with Tom Kerridge, a true icon in our industry. I cannot wait to taste his delicious menu. However, we need help in order to make this happen and we are looking for various sponsors to come on board. We need food, we need drinks, we need cutlery and we need tables. Please don’t hesitate and get in touch if you can help.”
Tom Kerridge said: “Only A Pavement Away is a fantastic charity and I am delighted to be working with Greg and the team to help them achieve their goal of getting more people employed in our fantastic industry. When Greg approached me about Cook and Dine, I loved the idea and I’m so excited to start working with the industry’s latest recruits and newest talent.”
Companies wishing to get involved or event sponsors, please contact: fundraising@onlyapavementaway.co.uk
To buy tickets, please email: gregmangham@onlyapavementaway.co.uk.
