Kilimanjaro-climbing chefs take centre stage at The Restaurant Show

07 October 2013

First public viewing for film showing chefs’ triumph on the roof of Africa

Three members of the team of chefs and restaurateurs that last month made it to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro took Centre Stage at The Restaurant Show this afternoon to describe their incredible achievement.

John Freeman (Head Chef at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham), Paul Foster (Head Chef at Suffolk’s highly regarded Tuddenham Mill) and Paulo de Tarso (Senior Maître D’ at Knightsbridge’s Bar Boulud) gathered at the Earl’s Court gathering for movers and shakers in the restaurant industry to talk about their challenge of a lifetime that saw the entire team defy the odds by making it to the summit of the world’s tallest freestanding mountain. The team was led by Ashley Palmer-Watts, Executive Head Chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Unfortunately, due to prior commitments, Ashley was not able to be at the Restaurant Show.

Exclusive film showing

The special session this afternoon on Centre Stage featured an exclusive unveiling of an extraordinary film shot entirely on location as the chefs climbed their way to the summit. Following the film-screening, Paul, John and Paulo explained what motivated them to take on such a momentous and demanding challenge.

The film is available to watch on Chefs with Altitude, the chefs’ official blog which is hosted on Farm Africa’s website: http://www.farmafrica.org/chefswithaltitude  

Only 41% of all those who set out to climb Kilimanjaro actually reach the summit at Uhuru Peak which towers over Africa at a height of 5,895 metres above sea level. Getting to the top is the equivalent of climbing Big Ben 61 times.

The team also spoke about their support for Farm Africa, the leading UK charity which is working to tackle hunger in eastern Africa.

The chefs have so far raised a staggering £54,000 for Farm Africa’s Food for Good campaign which is bringing together leading players in the UK’s food and hospitality sectors to help tackle one of the world’s most pressing problems: hunger. Food for Good has been turning heads all year, making Farm Africa the charity of choice for many of the leading companies in the food and hospitality sectors. Thanks to a variety of challenges throughout the year, including the Chefs Kilimanjaro Challenge, the extraordinary total of £428,000 has so far been raised for Food for Good.

 Ends

Images of the team preparing for and climbing to the summit Kilimanjaroas well as images from today at The Restaurant Show, are available on request.

All images, news and video clips from the Challenge are available via the team’s dedicated blog, Chefs with Altitude: http://www.farmafrica.org/chefswithaltitude  

For more information, and to arrange interviews with the chefs, please contact the Farm Africa Press Office:

Matt Whitticase, 020 7067 1237 / mattheww@farmafrica.org

Laura Oakley,    020 7067 1252 /laurao@farmafrica.org

Notes to Editor:

About Farm Africa

Farm Africa supports farmers living at subsistence level, constantly at risk of crop failure, to build food and income security so that they can grow a better and reliable future for their families.

By focusing on ‘climate smart’ agricultural and forestry techniques, building market links and adding value to production, Farm Africa unleashes the entrepreneurial abilities of the farmers and rural communities they work with.

This is the time to turn challenge into opportunity for African farmers. Farm Africa believes passionately that smallholders can and will play a key role in achieving rural prosperity in Africa.

Food for Good

The Chefs’ Kilimanjaro Challenge is part of Food for Good, a Farm Africa initiative that is bringing together the food and hospitality industry to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing the world today: hunger. You can find out more about Food for Good here: www.farmafrica.org/foodforgood

In addition, Farm Africa is the chosen charity for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants List 2013, sponsored by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.