TWO of the most formidable females on the Manchester food and drink scene are hosting fund-raising events for Action Against Hunger ahead of an Ethiopian mountain trek they are taking part in to support the charity.
First up is the Simien Mountain Disco, organised Mary-Ellen McTague, chef at the Real Junk Food Project, and food critic and Manchester Wire editor Ruth Allan. It’s named after the challenging range of peaks the pair will be tackling and takes place at the First Chop Brewing Arm in Salford from 2pm-1pm on Saturday, August 13. Tickets at £13.33 inc booking fee are limited, so snap them up now. via this link.
DJs will include Craig Potter, Greg Thorpe, Sarah Walters and Pasta Paul with more to be announced, plus there’ll be live acts, food, a restaurant voucher raffle, karaoke and much more. Mary-Ellen (below) will be host BBQ with a guest appearance from grilled meat experts Fazenda, whose exec Tomas Maunier is also going on the trek (October 1-10) along with a host of hospitality industry figures, hoping to raise £100,000.
The second pre-trek fund-raiser, organised by Ruth Allan is on Thursday, September 1 at upmarket steak restaurant Hawksmoor. Diners can enjoy five courses of ‘Hawksmoor Classics’ with hand-paired wines.
Served in the sumptuous Private Dining Room, the menu is subject to change but it’s likely to include short rib nuggets with a melting Ogleshield cheese centre and kimchi ketchup, delicate cuts of prime Ginger Pig sticky pork belly – and then there’s world-class steak. Enjoy a range of prime cuts with sauces and sides such as anchovy hollandaise and short rib macaroni. Diners could enjoy the best sticky toffee pudding in the world for pudding with Hawksmoor’s Tributes (melting, salted caramel chocolates like a grown up take on Rolos) to take home at the end.
One hundred percent of the ticket price is going direct to Action Against Hunger – meaning that Hawksmoor are providing this banquet to support the charity. Book your ticket here.
The rest of the Ethiopia Trek Team is: Adam Tomlinson, manager of Sticky Walnut; Andrew Nutter, chef/owner Nutters and the Bird at Birtle; Down at the Social MD Daisy Whitehouse; Frances Atkins, chef/co-owner The Yorke Arms, Jobe Ferguson and Ross Mackenzie, co-owners Black Dog Ballroom, The Liars Club Group and TNQ Restaurant and Bar; Beautiful Drinks owner Jon Kirby; Liam McKay, exec chef at The Chef’s Table; Lisa Allen, exec head chef at Northcote; Paddy Smith, co-owner Red and Blue restaurants; Steven Burgess, chef /owner Rhubarb & Custard, Tomas Maunier, sales and marketing director Fazenda restaurants; Vince Margiotta, Vincenzo’s Italian restaurant, launching in Liverpool in September.
For the Ethiopian trek, the group will cover 80km of rocky trails and steep escarpments over four days, at altitudes of up to 4400m. The team fundraising page can be viewed here and donations can be made online.
The funds raised will go towards Action Against Hunger’s work to provide malnourished children with healthier futures in countries including Ethiopia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Nepal and Somalia.
Simien Mountain Disco, First Chop Brewing Arm, Sat Aug 13, 2pm-1pm, First Chop Brewing Arm, Unit 3 Trinity Row, Trinity Way, Salford M3 5EN.
Hawksmoor Manchester, 184-186 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3WB. 0161 836 6980, Thu Sept 1, 7pm.7 £100 per ticket, 14 tickets only.
Picture shows Mary-Ellen McTague, Andrew Nutter, Frances Atkins and Lisa Allen checking out their trek gear.