An all-star chef line-up announced for the launch of ‘86
'86, a major event organised by Incognito-Studio will be held at Ned’s Club on January 10th, 2022 to further awareness of the crisis in mental health in London's professional kitchens, and fundraise for The Burnt Chef project.
Sponsored by Victorinox, the first ever '86 event begins with a screening of Boiling Point, courtesy of Vertigo Releasing.
The film stars BAFTA-nominated actor Stephen Graham, who plays a chef pushed to his limits, and will be followed by a Q&A with cast members and the director Philip Barantini, who used to work as a chef himself.
After the screening guests will enjoy an oyster and Champagne reception, followed by signature dishes served all night from top chefs including Adam Handling, Roberta Hall, Brad Carter, Andrew Clarke and Tom Griffiths.
Midnight catering comes from Calum Franklin serving late night pies and cocktails. This event will be a real party, with music from Mr Scruff and some very special guests including a top class charity raffle hosted by comedian Tom Ward.
"'86 is an event to unite the hospitality industry, focusing support on mental health, and creating an open dialogue for our staff and colleagues. Our aim is to help the industry in any way we can and have a great time doing so," said Tom Griffiths for Incognito-Studio.
'86 aims to raise awareness about the burn out in the hospitality industry, and to help more hospitality professionals access the services of The Burnt Chef project, a charity that aims to tackle the stigma around mental health in the industry. Victorinox has also teamed up with '86 to sponsor the event and launch their own industry support campaign called Staying Sharp, showcasing a series of short clips of the negative experiences the guest chefs have had and how the industry can move forward ‘on the right side of history’.
The ticket price is £100 per person, which includes the screening, all food, drink and entertainment. This chef supported event will be attended by famous names and faces in the industry, with goodie bags provided for all attendees including gifts from Salcombe Distilling Co.
Only 170 tickets are available, however the first 130 tickets will be lucky enough to attend the Boiling Point screening and Q&A. They go on sale Tuesday 23rd November and can be purchased here: www.incognito-studio.co.uk A percentage of the ticket price goes to The Burnt Chef project, as well as all proceeds from the raffle.
Chef Tom Griffiths said of the event: “I don’t have the answers to our staffing shortages, debts, supply chain or increasing costs but what I do know is that with Incognito setting up 86, we’re going to be able to cope with these issues in a more supportive way. The Burnt Chef project, which was set up with the sole intention of eradicating mental health stigma within hospitality, is fully behind this campaign and event.
"We’re all in this together and having the opportunity to get together to spread the word is everything to me right now.”
Brad Carter said: “The health and wellbeing of chefs is the single most important thing. If chefs are healthy their performance is greater and their hunger for the industry will last a lifetime - events like this help showcase the amazing work that is done by The Burnt Chef to raise awareness, make our industry sustainable and bring to it long term health - physically and mentally.”
Roberta Hall said: “This industry means a lot to me; it has allowed me to do what I really love. The path to get here hasn't always been an easy one and I’ve broken on a few occasions. We need to work together to collectively take the negativity out of the equation, so that we can all build it up to where it deserves to be.
"There is something incredibly fulfilling in nurturing people and allowing them to realise their full potential and helping them grow in this profession.”
Philip Barantini, director of Boiling Point, adds: “My personal experience working in kitchens wasn’t an easy one. I fell into a very deep dark hole, and I didn’t think there was a way out. But there is. There’s help out there in the likes of The Burnt Chef Project and many more.
"One of the reasons I made Boiling Point was to shine a light onto the world that I had personally experienced, and hopefully it will help someone else to get out of their own dark time too.”
86 is a term used in professional kitchens to signify that something has run out, there’s nothing left. The 86 event aims to raise awareness about this, to attract fresh interest in joining the industry where staff shortages are rife, and to raise funds to support those within the industry to remain, or get mentally well, and in a position to remain within the sector long-term.
