Ashley Palmer-Watts' deep fried mince pies have helped raise nearly £10,000 for the Mince Pie Project, in support of Action Against Hunger and the Jamie Oliver Foundation.
The executive chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was among a stellar cast of 36 chefs who all contributed their own unique batch of 50 pies for the charity auction, which took place last week. His pies sold for £1,000.
As the online auction progressed, competition among the chefs also grew. Michel Roux Jr, whose own pies sold for £470, commented: "It started as a bit of fun, but things quickly got competitive. Everyone wanted their mince pies to go for the most money, and did everything in their power to get noticed."
Tristan Welch of Launceston Place offered a meal for two at his restaurant after realising his mince pies were raising the least money, while a team member at St John Restaurant had offered to eat his own shoe if Fergus Henderson's mince pies went for more than Angela Hartnett's.
The project was started six weeks ago by fundraiser Pete Butler, who described the auction as a unique opportunity to get your mince pies cooked by a Michelin-starred chef, and donate money to two great causes.
He said: "When I started the project, I had no idea quite how competitive the chefs would get. Although it's only a fun charity event, it seems that all the chefs wanted to be number one."
The amount raised for each chef's 50 mince pies is as follows:
Ashley Palmer-Watts, Dinner by Heston: £1,000
Henry Harris, Racine: £600
Michel Roux Jr, Le Gavroche: £470
Claude Bosi, Hibiscus: £460
Angela Hartnett, Murano: £400
Marcus Wareing, the Gilbert Scott: £360
Raymond Blanc, Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons: £360
Martin Nisbet, Angelus: £324
Alexis Gauthier, Gauthier Soho: £257
Nigel Haworth, Northcote: £255.20
Edd Kimber, the Boy Who Bakes: £255
Olivier Limousin, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon: £255
Eric Lanlard, Cake Boy: £250
Phil Howard, the Square Restaurant: £245
Angelo Ercolano, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester: £235
Fergus Henderson, St John: £230
Marcus Eaves, Pied a Terre: £226
Skye Gyngell, Petersham Nurseries Café: £215
Anna Hansen, the Modern Pantry: £212.69
James Martin, the Leeds Kitchen: £205.50
Bruce Poole, Chez Bruce: £205.01
Alan Stewart, Manson: £201.01
Bryn Williams, Odette's: £201.01
Gregg Wallace, Wallace & Co: £200
Richard Bertinet, the Bertinet Kitchen: £185
Adam Byatt, Trinity Restaurant: £180
William Drabble , Seven Park Place: £171.40
Tristan Welch, Launceston Place: £169
Antonin Bonnet, the Greenhouse: £165
Bruno Loubet, Bistrot Bruno Loubet: £165
Glynn Purnell, Purnell's: £163
Stevie Parle, the Dock Kitchen: £160.55
Ben Spalding, Roganic: £157
Jeremy Lee, Blueprint Café: £156
Luigi Vespero, Galvin Bistrot de Luxe: £155
Tony Phillips, Fifteen Apprentice: £130
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By Janie Stamford
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