Bristol’s celebs to host unique banquet to fight food insecurity

Some of the biggest names in Bristol are joining forces next year to fight food insecurity in the city.

The Anti Banquet will be held at Ashton Gate Stadium on February 29, 2024 in the hopes of raising £100,000 for Bristol’s food community initiatives and good charities.

The event will raise vital funds for Bristol Local Food Fund, a project run entirely by volunteers who care about food, community, sustainability and making a positive difference by supporting community food causes.

Around 700 attendees, including emergency service personnel, charity workers, and those who rarely have the opportunity to attend gatherings, will be invited to Ashton Gate for the Anti Banquet.

Bristol is one of the most unequal cities in the UK, with 12 per cent of its residents relying on food banks weekly and experiencing food insecurity.

The Anti Banquet will be held at Ashton Gate Stadium – photo: Bristol Sport

Actors Jayde Adams and Joe Sims will host the banquet, alongside some of Bristol’s best chefs, including Josh Eggleton (Pony Chew Valley), Peter Sanches Iglesias (Casa, Paco Tapas) and Ben Harvey (Bianchis group).

Hannah Cately, who founded Lockdown Loaves in Winterbourne and has recently opened Catley’s in Clifton, is also among the impressive lineuup.

Cornwall’s Jude Kereama will also join the kitchen brigade, famous from his appearance on four series of The Great British Menu, reaching the final in 2021.

Celebrity chef Simon Rimmer, perhaps best known as one half of the presenting team for Channel 4’s long-running Sunday Brunch will complete the kitchen line up.

The unique event will see Bristol businesses invited to purchase tables for the local charities, while their bosses roll up their sleeves in the kitchen.

And business chiefs from sponsoring companies will also be invited to join the kitchen team or serve the guests as a member of the front of house team.

Team Love’s CIC Team Canteen is behind the groundbreaking project, which is being run entirely by volunteers who care about food, community and sustainability.

Eggleton said: “This is a unique opportunity to make a real change for some of Bristol’s most vulnerable residents.

“Some brilliant chefs will be giving up their time to work alongside the leadership of Bristol businesses to create an amazing night for Bristol’s hard working charity sector, public sector teams and their own workforces.

“As the cost of living crisis worsens, we must secure the future of Bristol’s community food charities to make sure they can keep delivering their services to those most in need in our city.”

Alongside the banquet, there will be a host of comedy, music and entertainment from Invisible Circus.

To get involved, buy a table for your team or donate one to a charity or worthy cause of your choice, visit www.antibanquet.co.uk

Main photo: Plaster

Read next:

• Are restaurants in Bristol too expensive?
• Using food to combat the cost of living crisis and isolation
• Bristol youth food project launches crowdfunder to expand support

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