#but i liked meal and marrows bone thing so much i went wild w it and made my own thing

[thedrapersarms]

Too Few Chefs for Action Against Hunger 2017

If, in this age of shortened attention spans, this self-indulgent text looks too long please do feel free to scroll down to the link to the booking page!

 “Nick thanks so and so for their kind invitation to dinner and is delighted to be able to accept.”  Or something along those lines.  I have a vague memory of being told that that is how one should respond to a formal dinner invitation; you’ll have to forgive me I am old and this was some time back in the last millennia…

 As I was thinking about writing this ‘invitation to dinner’ I reflected on the contrast between being concerned about whether your children know how to respond ‘correctly’ to a dinner invitation and wondering how to get enough food on the table to feed your children so that they avoid malnourishment, starvation or death.

 I know it doesn’t make literal sense for me to be grateful that the person I am now came out into the world so luckily into an environment where I and those who took care of me never had to worry about food but, especially since I started working in the business of feeding people requiring me to think intensely about food on a daily basis, there isn’t a day when I don’t feel both grateful for my good fortune and a heightened sense of our mutual obligation to do something for those less fortunate. Less fortunate for no fault of their own; every bit as much as my good fortune is through no merit at all of mine.

 I have been lucky enough to be involved with Action Against Hunger on a couple of fundraising events in India and Myanmar these last few years and as part of that have seen them at work.  They are not merely compassionate and kind; they are effective, professional, determined – they have considered long term plans and strategies.  They don’t just apply sticking plasters they fix structural problems and go upstream to prevention as well as being there when treatment and emergency supplies are needed.  They change and save lives every single day.  Remarkable really.  I remember standing in a room of terribly sick tiny babies in India and the image that struck me then of the children as flickering candles guttering in the wind has struck me vividly every time since when I think about what ACF, and indeed others like them, do to make the world a better and fairer place for everyone. Once you have seen those flickering candles in danger of being extinguished before they can share their light with the world you can’t help wanting to help – to the extent that I don’t even think there is particular merit in it – it just becomes obvious one has to do a little, what one can, to help.  I am sure many of you feel the same way about this and other good causes, and that you work hard to make the world a better place in many ways across many of the incredible good causes that are close to your hearts for personal reasons or that you just find incredible compelling.

 As some of you know at the Drapers we do try and do a bit on an ongoing basis – many other people in this industry do too and do far more.  Every day pies sold at the pub trigger donations to Action Against Hunger; we are lucky enough that a great friend of the pub, Neil Rankin, organises a multi chef event called ‘Too Many Chefs’ each year to cook up a fantastic 10 course feast from some of the finest chefs in town.

 In 2015 I decided, together with Ben Maschler, that I wanted to do something more direct than merely play host to the greater talents of others – and so ‘Too Few Chefs’ was born.  Intended to be a fabulous feast for up to 80 people, the striking difference is of course that it is a meal not cooked by chefs at all, but by me and possibly a few friends who also know one end of a knife from the other.  Last time we had a lot of fun, we think we cooked a pretty decent meal and we think lots of people had a great time.  Most importantly of course we helped Action Against Hunger with a good few pounds and they went away and did more amazing things with the cash.

 So this year I am planning on doing another one – a full feast of food that I can think I can cook well for a really enjoyable evening for a truly great cause.  100% of ticket sales will go to Action Against Hunger.  They can pay for an emergency treatment required to save the life of a severely malnourished child and nurse them back to health with just £42. You can find out more about what they do, where they do it and how funds raised are spent on their excellent website: www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk which provides full details about all the longer term and more strategic work they do as well as the emergency relief ‘lifesaving’ stuff.  I will also be donating 50% of our drink sales on the night to ACF… if you drink enough good wine you could save the lives of two children!

 I know all the people who see this will be bombarded with compelling alternative charitable causes, and I am sure that many of you give generously, quietly, repeatedly.  I would implore (that is a longer word for beg) you to consider coming along to this dinner.  I am resolutely determined to cook you a feast worth every penny of the ticket price and to make sure it is a huge amount of fun.  If you prefer to think of it as £5 wasted on a terrible meal and £45 given to this fantastic charity then I shan’t quibble with your assessment and Action Against Hunger will be most grateful indeed for your generosity. The menu is below and I can’t wait to cook it for you. There’s a ticket link here too:

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/too-few-chefs-2017-tickets-29518811560

 Nick’s ACF Dinner

aka “toofewchefs”

23rd February 2016

  Wild Mushrooms on Bone Marrow Toast

W Lardo

 *****

 Confit Squid, Salt Cod & Clams

 Morcilla Polenta Chips

 *****

 Slow Cooked Shoulder of Forest of Dean Wild Boar

 Boulangere Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables

 *****

 Custard Tart

 *****

 Neal’s Yard Cheese

  If you can’t or don’t want to come but do like this charity then this dinner is part of a broader fund raising effort centred around a trek in Nepal in March.  I am promised that this will be a truly challenging expedition.  I’m hoping to raise significantly more than £10,000. If you’d like to make a donation however small then it helps them help children in desperate need. https://nepal2017.everydayhero.com/uk/nick