The Caterer Blog

If you want to help, help Children in Need. Or, just donate Terry Wogan’s fee for the night to the charity and solve all its funding problems here on in. Just a thought.

You’d think they’d have fixed that poor bear’s eye by now but alas here he is with Welcome Break’s chief executive Rod McKie (perhaps having just enjoyed a welcome break in the roadside conveniences).

Welcome Break has launched a "spend a penny, spare a penny" campaign to raise funds for the charity at its 26 UK-wide service stations.

Customers using the loos will be encouraged via a large poster to put spare change in a collection tin, so let’s hope they wash their hands.

Welcome Break hopes to raise £100,000 for the charity (its charity of the year) over the next twelve months.

Children in Need holds its annual fundraising appeal on 16 November.

Welcome Break in deal with WHSmith to open stores>>

I was fortunate enough to be on the top table for the annual HIT Scotland industry dinner at the Glasgow Hilton last Thursday evening.

The evening was, as ever, a great success with more than £30,000 raised for the charitable trust and Neil Thomson, from the Federation of Chefs Scotland, a deserving winner of the industry award - recognising his 45 years in hospitality education.

I am reliably informed that there is always a good atmosphere at the do - 550 Scots and plentiful wine tends to see to that - but one can't help but wonder if events over in Florence may have added an extra sense of bonhomie to the occasion.

Springboard's annual Slingsby Cup takes place on Friday 19th September at Westminster Kingsway College and if anyone fancies pushing their work colleagues around London in a shopping trolley now is your chance.

The fund-raiser for the charitable trust, which works with young people, the unemployed and the disadvantaged in the hospitality industry,  will be awarding prizes for the most originally dressed trolley and the most creatively dressed trolley pushers.

The parade (it's not a race remember) takes place in Vincent Square, outside the Westminster Kingsway College.

To register, in teams of four, click here.

 A juicy headline if ever you've heard one. Alas, gossip fans, it's not that kind of dogging.

All round altruist Jamie Oliver was spotted cooking up hotdogs for hungry gig-goers at a recent charity gig held by Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows in aid of children's hospice charity Jack's Little Stars Appeal.

Oliver, a fellow drummer of course, enlisted the help of his apprentices from Fifteen London, serving up sausages in buns with rocket and onion chutney, to the likes of Radio 1 DJ Edith Bowman and and Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell.

Burrows, who put the gig in Islington as part of the launch of his new solo album The Colour of My Dreams, invited a whole host of guest musicians from bands such as Guillemots and The Bluetones, to serenade the audience, who were treated in the last half hour to an acoustic set from Razorlight.

Oliver, a self confessed Razorlight fan, also donated signed cookbooks to the raffle, and enjoyed the concert from an upstairs pew in the chapel.

It's a dog's life!

By Rosie Birkett

Lovers of high camp rejoice! Hilton Hotels has teamed up with Sky One's Gladiators for charity.

Yes those latex clad TV warriors are lending their support to Hilton's Around the World in a Day initiative, which last year raised £50,000 for good causes.

Taking place on 29 June, Around the World participants have been challenged to collectively travel the circumference of the earth - 29,901.55 miles - by taking part in one of two events: the competitive Team Challenge or easier-going Miles4fun.

Although giant cotton buds are banned, the Gladiators will be entering a team in the Team Challenge event - so you could be going up against the likes of Spartan, Ice, Enigma and Predator on the day, which should at least put a smile on your face if nothing else. 

For more on the event go to www.hilton-foundation.org.uk

Hilton plans more hotels over the next five years>>