Bob Geldof is back in Ethiopia appealing for funds to fight famine there 20 years after he launched Live Aid. Remember how we all said it would never happen again? At the same time the chefs of the world are going all out to help alleviate the effects of drought in southern Africa.
During 19-24 August, some of the greatest international chefs, representing 20 countries from all over the world, will be in South Africa for the start of the 2003 World Cooks Tour for Hunger. The tour coincides with the 75th Anniversary of the World Association of Cooks Society, the 10th Anniversary of the first cooks tour to South Africa and; locally, with the South African Chefs 29th Anniversary. The last tour in South Africa in 1993 raised over R500,000,00 for charity. The 2003 tour, sponsored by Tiger Brands, aims to:
* To raise money for charity in order to alleviate the effects of the droughts in Southern Africa by bringing together the great chefs of the world for a series of fund raising events
* To establish an awareness, in the minds of the general public, and hospitality industry, that the world community of chefs is a concerned and caring body, with a strong sense of social responsibility
50 teams will be competing in the tour. Thirty teams will participate in Gauteng and 10 teams will each go to the Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal. In addition to the South African activities, an appeal has been made globally for each chefs office around the world to host a similar banquet in their country to commemorate the tour. Funds from the banquet will go to a charity of their choice.
Chef Colin Capon, an old friend of Catering Update, has asked me to chase up the chefs of the nation for this very good cause. Colin says: "What do you do with your old chefs jackets? I am sure many of you have personalised jackets you no longer wear. You can now donate them to this very good cause. The jackets ideally should be endorsed with your name and personal logo on the breast pocket.
"It will only take a couple of minutes to parcel up any of your unwanted jackets. Enclose a cheque to the value of £10 for each jacket sent and pop it in the post to South Africa. The jackets will be auctioned at various functions during the Cooks Tour that will take place during the promotion to raise extra funds for the charity. Any remaining jackets will be donated to the culinary schools of Africa.
"Ideally we are looking for 500 jackets which as you can imagine will not only raise a considerable amount of money but also make an unbelievable photograph for the public relations of the event."
So, chefs of the UK and Ireland, put your hand in your jacket pocket - and make sure there's a tenner in it. It is for a good cause you know!
For further details check out the S.A. Chefs Website www.saca.co.za. Or contact Colin Capon in England on email Chef@colin-capon.fsworld.co.uk Alternatively, respond on number 460 via the card attached to the front cover or online at our brand new website www.cateringupdate.com.