Organised by Bocuse d’Or UK and held at Raffles London at The OWO on 22 January, the event featured dishes from Clare Smyth (CORE by Clare Smyth); Alain Roux (The Waterside Inn); Daniel Stucki (The Lecture Room & Library at sketch); Edward Cooke (The Fat Duck); Jean-Philippe Blondet (Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester); Marco Zampese (Hélène Darroze at The Connaught); Matt Abé (Restaurant Gordon Ramsay); and Simon Rogan (L’Enclume).
Tickets were priced at £1,500 per person and the event also featured a live auction, with prizes including a dinner cooked by Team UK, who will represent their country at the high-profile cooking competition in Norway in March.
The proceeds are being used ‘to give candidate chef Tom Phillips and commis chef Harry van Lierop the best chance yet of achieving gold for Team UK’.
The money raised will go towards ‘their intense training’ and the hiring of a team of professionals to ‘aid them in performing at their best for such a top level contest as this when speed, precision, culinary skill and creativity are critiqued by the top chefs of the world and audiences worldwide.’
The money will also help pay the salary of a nutritionist who will work with Team UK and Cancer Awareness Trust to educate chefs about the difference food can make to those living with cancer.
"I took on the role of Team UK president because I believe we have the talent in the UK to win gold, but I also know that we have never been in a position to prepare or compete at the high levels enjoyed by the likes of Denmark and Norway,” says Clare Smyth.
“I hope that with funding from this event we can achieve what we deserve while contributing to the essential cause of improving nutrition for those living with cancer.”
