“I first heard about Farm Africa through a conversation with Ashley, and his huge involvement with the charity is well known across the industry. I’ve known him personally from a long, long way back, right to when he was a young lad at The Fat Duck, and when he asked me if I wanted to get involved in the gala, I told him I was happy to.
“We have very high standards and have worked very hard to get to the point in the industry where we are recognised. With that recognition brings consumers and it is fantastic that we can use our profiles as chefs for a good cause. It’s about remembering how lucky you are and using your skill set to help others - doing the gala is great opportunity to give something back.
“I’m serving a lamb shepherd’s pie at the dinner, something that will be homely and hearty but done with finesse and quality. When choosing a dish to serve at an event like this, the hardest thing is finding something that showcases your style and which you are able to serve on such a huge scale using a kitchen that isn’t yours.
“The biggest challenge is getting everything cooked at the right time, you want it served perfectly so the temperature is hot enough and it hasn’t turned cold or soggy. But I’m not worried, I know it will all be alright on the night!”
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