[K]itchen Rivals, a black-tie charity event hosted by Cumbrian business law firm Baines Wilson LLP, Barclays and Lake District Hotels Ltd, a group of 7 family owned and run hotels, took place on Thursday 16th November at the Inn on the Lake, on the shores of Ullswater, raising an impressive £18,211 for three local charities.
This is the second year that Lake District Hotels have partnered up with Baines Wilson LLP and Barclays to host the knife and fork challenge, with the first charity dinner taking place in January 2016 at the Lodore Falls Hotel, which raised £13,305, with Baines Wilson claiming victory over Barclays.
The lawyers and the bankers took over the Inn on the Lake, with two teams of 8; 4 from each team in the kitchen to prepare a delicious 3 course meal, supervised by Lake District Hotels Executive Head Chef, Mark Harris and the Inn on the Square’s Head Chef, Dan Lansley. The remaining 4 from each team looked after the front of house to serve 90 VIP guests, who were able to watch the kitchen teams battle it out, from a live stream which played in the 2 AA rosette Lake View restaurant.
The evening began with champagne and canapés in the stunning Orangery, with a warm welcome from the hotel’s General Manager, Gary Wilson and an introduction to the three local charities – Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal, Blood Bikes Cumbria and the Great North Air Ambulance.
At the tables, Baines Wilson LLP were the green team and Barclays the red team, dinner was served with Eden Valley oak smoked salmon tartare to start, followed by a Lakeland chicken wellington baked in a puff pastry which took a great deal of skill. The meal was then finished off with a dark chocolate dome filled with mocha mousse, served with cherries and milk ice cream.
The competition was high, but after a close contest Baines Wilson LLP were once again crowned the winners. The efforts of the bankers and lawyers clearly made a good impression as diners paid a donation for what they felt the food and service deserved. This along with money from the raffles and auction raised a grand total of £11,211, which was then match funded with a further £7,000 from Barclays.
The fabulous raffle and auction prizes were kindly donated by local Cumbrian businesses: Ullswater Steamers, Lloyd Motor Group, Brimstone Hotel, Jason Chambers Photography, CBA Events, Johnsons Apparelmaster, M-Sport, Manchester United, The Necessary Angel, Eddie Stobbart, Sealy, the Inn on the Lake, The Back Bar, Alliance, The Lakes Distillery, Pioneer Food Services, Lake District Paddleboarding, Honister Slate Mine, Cyclewise, Evergreens Florist, EWGA, Live for Today, Rheged, Whinlatter, Askham Hall, 11 Degrees, The Theatre by the Lake, Windermere Lake Cruises, Treetop Trek, Eden Brewery, The Fizzy Tarte, Living North, Jennings Brewery, John Richardson and Son, Sharrow Bay, Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa, and Silloth Golf Course.
Joanne Holborn, Employment Partner at Baines Wilson LLP said: “It was a brilliant evening, which raised a stunning total for our three chosen charities. I must say a big thank you to our partners Lake District Hotels and Barclays, to all the local businesses who kindly donated and our fabulous guests, who made the evening such a success.”
Dani Hope, Marketing Director of Lake District Hotels said: “We are over the moon with the end result, all of the hard work put in from the Inn on the Lake, Baines Wilson and Barclays has really paid off, which will now benefit three local well deserving causes. There were some fabulous prizes on offer, which Gary Wilson did justice in a fiercely competitive auction.”
Joyce Seaborn, Area Business Manager at Barclays said: “We are delighted with the amount raised for our 3 chosen Charities from this amazing event and would like to thank Lake District Hotels, Baines Wilson and everyone who supported us to make this happen. Alongside our Shared Growth Ambition, Barclays encourages us to get involved in the causes we care about. It’s about giving back our skills, time and energy to support our local communities – so we’re thrilled to have raised this money.”