In amongst some of the best dishes money can buy a fundraising target of a cool £1m will be on the menu at the forthcoming 2023 Chefs’ Night Out for Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice.
The evening of Saturday, March 25 will see 14 top chefs from across Wales and the UK gather at Cornerstone in Charles Street, Cardiff to cook some of their signature dishes for 140 members of South Wales’ business community to raise vital funds for the iconic children’s hospice.
Chefs’ Night Out – now on its 10th annual event after a break of three years due to the pandemic – has been a regular fundraising event on the charity’s calendar since it started in 2011, the brainchild of David Loosemore, Managing Director of Portobella, and Huw Edwards, Head of Auctions and Auctioneer at Seel & Co.
The chefs who will all be cooking four course meals with matched wines for this exclusive evening out are as follows:
- Stephen Terry – The Hardwick, Abergavenny
- Roger Jones – The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, Marlborough
- Richard Davies – Calcot Manor, Tetbury
- David Kelman – Cowley Manor, Cheltenham
- Hywel Jones – Lucknam Park, Chippenham
- Hywel Griffith – Beach House, Oxwich
- Fred Clapperton – Coast, Saundersfoot
- Douglas Balish – The Grove, Narberth
- Tom Hine – Penmaenuchaf, Dolgellau
- Tom Simmons – Thomas, Pontcanna
- Tom Waters – Gorse, Cardiff
- Grady Atkins – Chez Vous, Cardiff
- Owen Morgan – Asador 44, Cardiff
- Sarah Hayward – The Coach Inn, Marlow
Said David Loosemore: “Since it started I am very proud to say that Chefs’ Night Out has raised more than £835,000 for Tŷ Hafan.
“We are back now after three years away, and our ambition is for this event to raise in excess of £165,000 which will take our total raised to the £1m mark and beyond.
“Tŷ Hafan cares for thousands of children and, just as importantly, supports the friends and family of those children so they can live their lives to the full, however long or short those precious lives may be.”
Chefs Stephen Terry and Owen Morgan recently spent a morning at Tŷ Hafan to help with their preparation for the evening.
Stephen, head chef at The Hardwick, Abergavenny, has taken part in every Chefs’ Night Out event since it started. “We’re dads, Owen and me.” he said, “Being a parent changes your life forever, for lots of reasons, but also makes you a lot more aware.
“To be here at Tŷ Hafan today and having been here before, is incredible. This is self-funded with almost no help from the government. It’s insane, this incredibly precious care and help and respite for families and their children that Tŷ Hafan provides. It’s such a privilege to be involved with it.”
Owen, Head Chef at Asador 44, will be cooking at Chefs’ Night Out for the first time. He added: “Before today I’ve never been in Tŷ Hafan but I’ve heard stories from family and friends who’ve had to use the facilities, so it’s always been something as a local family we’ve known a lot about.
“Now getting the opportunity to do this, doing something we love to support Tŷ Hafan, it’s just an amazing thing.”
Rachel Ritter, Head of Major Gifts and Partnerships, said: “This is an absolutely incredible event and we are thrilled to be working with so many uber-talented chefs again.”
This year’s sought-after event sold out within days. Each chef will cook specifically for a table of 10 diners who won’t know which chef will be catering for them until the evening itself.
Furthermore, diners have an opportunity to bid for the services of some of the chefs to cook for them at their own homes or a private venue of their choice at a later date.
“Good food is an expression of love,” added Rachel Ritter, “and we are also offering the foodie community across Wales and beyond the opportunity to show their love for Tŷ Hafan by helping to contribute to the overall fundraising total of this night by donating via this dedicated Chefs’ Night Out Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chefsnightout2023
