LONDON – Exploring medieval French town Menton with three-star Michelin chef Mauro Colagreco as host; learning to make chocolate by San Francisco pastry chef Juan Contreras; touring Singapore’s favourite hawker stalls with Odette chef Julien Royer – these are just some of the once-in-a-lifetime gastronomic experiences available for bidding at the world’s first gastronomic auction from 3 July.
Organised by the people behind The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, the Bid for Recovery Auction is an initiative aimed at raising funds for restaurants worldwide that have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The auction features over 100 lots donated by restaurants and chefs featured on the recent World’s 50 Best Restaurant lists, as well as by partner brands. Auction lots run the gamut from cocktail masterclasses, tasting tours, private cooking classes to bespoke parties and rare bottles of spirits and chefs’ artworks.
Commenting on the initiative, William Drew, director of content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity and support… as we aim to raise as much money as possible to support our industry and give back to the global restaurant sector… Now we ask all those who love restaurants and are blessed with sufficient resources to take part in the auction, and crucially, spread the word to like-minded foodies across the world.”
Under Bid for Recovery, all proceeds will be distributed to restaurants, bars and non-profit organisations that support the sector. These include direct grants of up to US$5,000 per establishment; donations to related charitable organisations; and a donation of 1 million meals to the needy, as part of a collaboration with global initiative Social Gastronomy Movement.
Interested bidders can view the full selection of experiences from 29 June at www.50bestforrecovery.com, with the auction happening 3-12 July.