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National
Curry Week will be from 22 - 28th October this year and will be
joined by National Eating-out Week. Over the past nine years
participants have been restricted to the Asian sector but a new look
at the situation has meant including other sectors so that everyone
can join in the fun..
According to
organiser Peter Grove, editor of Menu Magazine, there are estimated
to be some 23 million people eating out each year. This year the
event will be partnering with a different charity from the past and
this caused a re-think.
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Lead sponsor
will one of Britain's fastest growing and highly respected beer
brands - Cobra Beer - who are delighted to be associated with the
event for the first time. Completing the new line up as appointed
charity will be Oxfam, one of the best-known and respected names in
the field of poverty, malnutrition and disaster relief. The two
events will contribute to the charity on a general basis as well as
to the River Basin Project on the borders of Bangladesh, Nepal and India.
"We have
agreed to work with Oxfam for the forseeable future," commented
Mr Grove. " We felt the amounts raised in the past, whilst good,
were just not good enough to make a real difference." "Then
we thought what if the 23 million people eating out donated just
£1 a year - that would make a difference." |
Now the
problem is in actually climbing the ladder to that target and in due
course it will be achieved by a national draw with tickets saleable
through restaurants and pubs. This year the event will be based on a
pilot scheme draw where each restaurant has a control sheet completed
by the diner with donation and their names are then entered in the
national draw for a variety of prizes. No donation has to necessarily
be made to enter.
"What we
need now is the co-operation of companies in supplying prizes of all
kinds - product, hotel rooms, holidays, vouchers etc - so that all
items can be listed to diners and seen on the website(www.nationalcurryweek.co.uk/www.nationaleatingoutweek.com).
With their help we can make a difference to hunger and poverty
through Oxfam without asking too much of an already charity exhausted
public" said Grove.
Any companies
with something to offer are asked to advise the organiser as soon as
possible. Also, in the past there has been just one major sponsor.
Now it is felt that it is better for the project if the load can be
spread so companies can be involved for very little outlay. It is a
great annual event and for a great cause so get involved now.
Asian
restaurants are already signing up for National Curry Week and
include some top names such as Café Spice Namaste, Moti Mahal
and BIBA Newcomer of the Year Imli in London's Soho.
Non curry
restaurants are invited to sign up for National Eating-out Week and
leading the way was Iqbal Wahhab's top English restaurant, Roast at
Borough Market.
Register free
by downloading a registration form HERE.
(It is
important that the form is signed and returned by post to
NCW/NEW,
Menu Publications Ltd, PO Box 416, Surbiton KT1 9BJ).
For further
information email the organisers at groveint@aol.com
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