Held at 113 Chancery Lane, home of The Law Society in London, nearly 200 members and guests attended the event, together with two of ACE’s younger patrons, Ruth Hansom, star of 2018 Million Pound Menu and winner of National Young Chef of the Year 2017 and ‘rising star’ chef Adam Handling.
Michel Roux Jr. recorded a video played at the event that inspired guests to dig deep for the charity, after he worked with some of The Wiggly Worm chefs on the Channel 4 TV show, Kitchen Impossible:
He said: “Wiggly Worm is a fantastic charity that I have done some work with in the past.
“They do an amazing, truly inspirational job and they genuinely help young boys and girls who are not as fortunate as ourselves get into the hospitality industry. Not just that, but they get them on their feet to fend for themselves which is quite extraordinary.”
The evening started with a drinks reception, followed by an meal prepared by the resident chefs from foodservice provider CH&Co.
The Wiggly Worm’s managing director, Abby Guilding explained how the funds raised have been used: “This time last year, we said that we wanted to open a ‘Community Kitchen’ hub in the city centre of Gloucester, to teach people with mental health issues and disabilities the skills required to cook healthy food independently, in a safe and fun environment.
“We are delighted to say that with ACE’s help, this unique kitchen hub is now open and operational, giving people the chance to cook, eat, and create opportunities for life."