Chefs to travel to Malawi for charity school build

A group of nine UK hospitality figures will travel to Malawi next week as part of a charity and documentary project.

The 10-day trip, which begins on Friday, May 29, will explore what service, purpose and hospitality mean beyond the restaurant environment.

CHEF. BETTER, BECAUSE. will see seven chefs, a sommelier and a front-of-house leader travel to rural Malawi, where they will work alongside a local community helping to build a new school.

The travelling party includes Ricki Weston, executive chef at Whatley Manor; Luke French, chef co-owner of JÖRÖ; Stacey French, co-owner of JÖRÖ; Mark Tuttiett, head chef at Da Terra; April Lily Partridge, Roux Scholar and formerly of The Ledbury; Charlie Tayler, head chef at Aulis; Vanessa Stoltz, sommelier at Pine; Ollie Bridgwater, head of food & innovation at TRUEfoods; and Harry Kirkpatrick, head chef at Trinity.

The journey will also be captured by Rosa Brough of 7FIFTY Films as part of a documentary looking at what hospitality really means at a time when the industry continues to face major pressure.

Hospitality figures heading to Malawi

The project supports the work of the Magic Future Foundation, which works in partnership with buildOn to help communities build schools around the world.

The trip follows a fundraising event at Whatley Manor, with the team now preparing to travel to Malawi to take part in the next stage of the project.

Speaking to The Staff Canteen, Rosa explained the idea was not simply to ask chefs to cook at a charity event, but to take the team directly into the community their fundraising would support.

She said: “Rather than doing a charity lunch to raise money, which chefs get asked to do all the time, I said, why don’t we raise the money to build the school, and then why don’t we actually go and build the school as a team?”

The group will stay with host families during the trip, share meals within the community and take part in the early stages of the school build.

Rosa said the project was designed to be a trip for learning on both sides, rather than a one-way act of support.

“It’s all about a cultural exchange of what do we learn from them,” she said.

“It’s not us going and telling them, it’s actually them helping us and reframing where we’re at and what we’re all about.”

The story behind CHEF. BETTER, BECAUSE.

The project is rooted in the legacy of Oliver Wissenbach, who died suddenly and unexpectedly in 2019, aged 25, shortly before he was due to begin a career as a teacher in China.

After his death, his family discovered Oliver had been writing anonymously online, sharing advice and support with young people. One of the phrases later found in his writing was his wish to leave “the world better, because I was here”.

Through the Magic Future Foundation, the Wissenbach family has since continued that legacy through a mission to build 100 schools worldwide.

The school in Malawi will be the next step in that wider project, with buildOn supporting the community-led model.

Documentary to explore hospitality and purpose

Alongside the charity work, the journey will be filmed as part of a documentary produced by 7FIFTY.

The film will follow the group from the UK fundraising stage through to the Malawi build and their return to restaurant life, asking what happens when people used to leading kitchens and service teams are taken out of familiar surroundings and placed in a very different environment.

The wider aim is to explore the meaning of hospitality beyond food, drink, accolades and restaurant success.

Rosa explained: “On the very face of it, it’s a group of hospitality talent supporting a charity, doing something outside of their kitchens, away from their comfort zone and supporting an amazing charity effort to build a school for a community.

“The bigger picture is it’s forming part of a documentary that explores what hospitality really means and why it matters.”

She added that many of those taking part were at a point in their careers where they were starting to ask bigger questions about legacy, purpose and the role they want to play in the industry.

Rosa said: “What’s our legacy that isn’t just Michelin stars and brand deals?”

Fundraising and prize draw

The school-build fundraising pot is separate from the documentary campaign.

The CHEF. BETTER, BECAUSE. Crowdfunder is aiming to raise £35,000 towards production costs, including crew, travel, equipment and post-production.

A separate prize draw has also been launched to support the film project, with supporters able to enter for the chance to win a VIP Michelin-star dining experience. To enter the prize draw, click here.

The first prize is a meal for two at one of the team’s restaurants, including wine pairing, a glass of champagne on arrival, a kitchen tour, a framed signed menu and a goodie bag.

The winner can choose from JÖRÖ in Sheffield, The Dining Room at Whatley Manor in the Cotswolds, Trinity in London, Da Terra in London or Pine in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Runner-up prizes include an ultimate foodie giveaway, signed cookbooks and a bespoke wine flight selected by Vanessa.

For the hospitality figures involved, the project represents a chance to step away from kitchens, service, awards and restaurant pressures, while supporting a school-build project designed to leave a lasting educational legacy.

Click here to read more and support the event.