London to Paris for Hospitality Action
A team of chefs, front-of-house managers and hotel managers took on the gruelling London to Paris cycle route last week in aid of industry charity Hospitality Action (HA).
Hoping to raise in excess of £24,000 for the charity, the @L2P4HA team (as they were known on Twitter) swapped their chef whites and suits for lycra and began the 300-mile ride on Friday 29 June at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.
The team then headed to Dover, crossing over the channel to continue through the French countryside before arriving at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Sunday 1 July.
The ride was the brainchild of Michael Cross, of G&G Goodfellows and winner of the HA Heroes Award in 2011. He said: "I've been cycling socially for a couple of years and had the itch to step it up.
"HA was looking for ideas to raise funds and the profile of the charity which coincided with me being made redundant from my previous job. The support I received from friends in the industry was incredible, which inspired me even more."
The team included chefs Alan Murchison, Steve Drake and Hayden Groves, as well as Thomas Hannah from Le Manoir, Michael Dewey from Hard Days Night hotel in Liverpool and contract caterers the Good Eating Company.
The cyclists were tested to the limit, but with a huge amount of team spirit they continued, finally reaching Paris on the Sunday afternoon. Team member Dominic O'Nions, from Ashburton Cookery School in Devon, said: "We set off from London as individuals and arrived in Paris as a team. It was a pretty epic journey and achievement, with no rider left behind."
"Being involved in the ride is one of the best things I have ever done," recalled chef Matthew Tomkinson, of the Montagu Arms hotel, Beaulieu. "The money raised, the people involved and the experiences made it memorable in so many ways."
Chief executive of Hospitality Action, Penny Moore, said: "It never fails to amaze me, the commitment and dedication of people who get involved to help us raise funds. On behalf of all our beneficiaries I would like to thank each and every rider on their amazing achievement. Our industry is proud of you!"
You can still donate at www.justgiving.com/teams/L2P4HA. For more photos from the event go to www.catererandhotelkeeper.com/L2P4HA
The team in full
Kevin Anderson
Dominic Barham
William Bonfield
Nick Bowden
Samuel Bowden
Rafaele Colturi
Michael Cross
Hayden Groves
Steve Drake
Michael Dewey
Thomas Hannah
Ben Haynes
Matthew Tomkinson
Carlos Mistry
Alan Murchison
Dominic O'Nions
Roddy Riddle
Nathan Risbey
Guy Levenson Moores
Dagmar Pfeifer
Mark White
â- Thanks to team sponsors Inka Grill, G&G Goodfellows, Oranka, Wenlock Springs and Chipotle
