On Friday 12th April, a unique line-up of leading chefs teamed up with their protégés at the exclusive Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall to generously volunteer their time and showcase a world-class menu as part of The Take 3 + 1 Colleges fundraising dinner in aid of Adopt a School, a national charity which promotes food education by sending chefs and hospitality professionals to local primary schools.
Marking the 15th anniversary of the annual fundraising dinner, the night was a celebration of new, existing, and emerging talent in the hospitality industry as critically-acclaimed and Michelin-starred chefs and Royal Academy of Culinary Arts members Philip Corrick, Chris Galvin and Jeff Galvin MCA, John Williams MBE, and William Curley MCA not only cooked alongside their protégés Ben Gielen , Emile Galvin, Adam Smith MCA, and Alistair Birt, but were accompanied by catering students from the UK’s top hospitality colleges, which is how the dinner gains its name ‘Take 3+1 Colleges’.
The sublime four-course menu was kicked off by John Williams MBE, Executive Head Chef of the Ritz, and Adam Smith MCA, Head Chef of Coworth Park, as well as students from Bournemouth and Poole College, who served a starter of Cotswold White chicken pressing, langoustine, lovage, and potato soufflé.
The RAC team, fronted by Executive Chef Philip Corrick and Senior Sous Chef Ben Gielen were joined by Michelin-star winning chef Didier Aniès MOF, Executive Head Chef at Fairmont Monte Carlo, and students from Westminster Kingsway College followed with a fish course of champagne-glazed Dover sole, apple, and pearl caviar.
Next, Chris Galvin and Jeff Galvin MCA delivered the main course alongside Chris’ son, Emile Galvin, marking the first time that the family cooked alongside each other in a professional kitchen; the Galvin trio, alongside students from University of West London, served up a loin and faggot of venison with red cabbage and chervil root purée. Finally, the world-class menu culminated in a dessert of Amedei chocolate moëlleux with a cherry compote and pistachio ice cream, prepared by Patissier Chocolatier William Curley MCA and Alistair Birt, Head Pastry Chef at Harrods, with students from University College Birmingham.
The dinner was also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and witness the impact the Adopt a School Programme has on children’s lives. Young people from Downside Fisher Youth Club in Southwark, whose youth club is adopted by Adopt a School Chef Lecturer Ashley Marsh, were invited to serve canapés to guests upon their arrival, emphasising the raison d’etre of this fundraising event.
A special thanks to Philip Corrick for masterminding this Take 3 Colleges Plus 1 Fundraising Dinner. Without Philip and the support from the Royal Automobile Club, this dinner, and the 14 that came before it, would never have happened. Adopt a School would also like to take this opportunity to thank Philip for his tireless support of Adopt a School over the past 15 years and wish him all the best for his impending retirement.
All proceeds from the dinner have gone directly to Adopt a School, a national charity founded in 1990 by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. Each year, Adopt a School works with over 16,000 children in primary schools, hospital schools, and youth clubs by sending chefs and hospitality professionals to local schools to teach pupils about cooking, healthy eating, food provenance, and sustainability. The Adopt a School programme operates across the UK, from Cornwall to Wicke, but works extensively within the North West, West Midlands, and London: areas which experience high levels of deprivation.
