Top Chefs Raise £125,000 for Tŷ hafan at Chefs’ Night Out 2015

A small army of star chefs from in and around Wales have successfully raised over £125,000 for Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice in the ‘Chefs’ Night Out’ dinner at Cardiff’s Parc Hotel.

The event included an auction of chef’s services, which raised £95,000, with 2014 Masterchef Champion Ping Coombes receiving the highest bid of £15,000, to create a dinner party at the winner’s home.

The 14-strong culinary cast of chefs volunteering their time and skills included top chefs Hwyel Jones, James Sommerin, Stephen Terry and Will Holland.

Hosted and supported by The Parc Thistle Hotel for the second time, the initiative which is organised by David Loosemore and Huw Edwards, has now raised over £425,000 for Tŷ Hafan since its first staging in 2010.

David Loosemore, whose eight-year-old daughter, Bella, also benefits from the charity’s services, said: “The night went incredibly smoothly and that is thanks to our dedicated team and the skill and camaraderie of our chefs.

We have raised a vast amount of money for this wonderful cause and Huw and I can’t thank our team enough. Special mention must also go to our guest of honour, Katie Palmer, who regularly attends Tŷ Hafan. Her words touched the room and I’m sure contributed to bidders digging that little bit deeper.”

Huw Edwards, organiser of the event said: “The overwhelming generosity, given in both time and money, is what makes our event so special. We would like to offer a huge thank you to all the amazing chefs, the suppliers, the hotel and, of course, all of the guests who have all helped to raise an incredible amount for Tŷ Hafan.”

Ben Underwood, General Manager of The Parc Thistle Hotel said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have supported Chef’s Night Out and are so chuffed with the amount raised. It is particularly fitting for us as Tŷ Hafan is our official charity this year, we couldn’t be happier with this success.”

Teenager Katie Palmer and her mum, Lisa, from Tonyrefail were two other very special guests. Katie, 17, was referred to Tŷ Hafan when she was 13 and describes the children’s hospice as: “a wonderful, loving place and every member of staff is so truly welcoming and comforting.”

Katie suffers from a life-threatening heart condition called Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and has been in and out of hospital hundreds of times since she was a baby.

She enjoyed a makeover before the event thanks to John Lewis and the Vanilla Rooms in Cardiff and Stardust Boutique in Swansea.

Jeremy Jackson, Tŷ Hafan’s Director of Fundraising and Marketing, said: “Chefs’ Night Out is a unique and innovative event providing guests with an exclusive, world-class gourmet experience combined with an opportunity to support the vital work of Tŷ Hafan.

“The success of the event is dependent on the generosity of top chefs, many of whom possess Michelin Star accolades, Welsh businesses and, of course, the great Welsh public. Inspired by Tŷ Hafan’s care for his daughter Bella, David and his close friend Huw, have created an exceptional fundraising event that has already raised in excess of £425,000 for Tŷ Hafan. This is a phenomenal contribution and Chefs’ Night Out is making a significant difference to the care we can provide.

“We are incredibly grateful for their unstinting commitment to, and support for, Tŷ Hafan.”