Hawksmoor Lead New Charity Initiative to Tackle Food and Water Poverty

Some of the UK’s leading restaurant owners, investors and operators have come together to launch a new charity initiative which will seek to raise money to help tackle food and water poverty in the UK and abroad.

A Good Dinner has been created by a group that includes Will Beckett, co-founder of Hawksmoor and chairman of Rockfish Restaurants; chef and restaurateur Mark Hix, MBE; and Karen Jones, CBE, current chair of Hawksmoor, ex-chief executive of Spirit Group, cofounder of Café Rouge and Food & Fuel.

The initiative will officially launch next month; the inaugural A Good Dinner event will take place on Wednesday 11 October at The Bloomsbury Ballroom for 200 guests, who will be invited to take part in a “money can’t buy auction.” Inception Group and Hawksmoor will provide the food and drinks. Bibendum (wine supplier, not restaurant) will provide a selection of wines. Tables of 10 will be available for a set price of £5,000. The initiative is aiming to raise £250,000 in its first year. The event will be hosted by restaurant critic Giles Coren and comedian Alexander Armstrong.

The event is sponsored by technology support provider, the Access Group. In 2017, Action Against Hunger, The One Foundation and Magic Breakfast will benefit equally from this first event. The event wants to “bring together operators, investors, advisors and other senior figures, who have benefitted from their involvement in the sector” — and aims to take action against food and water poverty.

About the new initiative, Beckett said: “We’re all lucky to be able to work in food and drink — an industry we love. Yet we’re doing this in a world where millions of children don’t have the basics of life — enough food and clean water. Even in the UK over half a million children arrive at school each day too hungry or malnourished to learn.

“A few of us wanted to do more and try to raise money to help fulfil this pressing need at home and abroad. This year we’ve picked three amazing organisations: Action Against Hunger, Magic Breakfast and The One Foundation. We want A Good Dinner to be exactly that: a really enjoyable evening that raises a large amount of money for a great cause.”

Chris Bayne, CEO Access Group, said: “At the Access Group, we appreciate that success in business carries wider responsibilities. While we enjoy unprecedented growth and exciting fun times in the hospitality sector, many in the world struggle to cope with famine, malnutrition and unsafe water.”

To book a table or place at the event and to find out more information about the supported charities, visit agooddinner.org.uk.