Sat Bains calls on industry to hold ‘A night for Nepal'

Sat Bains has called on the industry to help raise £100,000 for Community Action Nepal (CAN), a UK-based charity which helps the mountain people of Nepal, within the next week.

The two-Michelin-starred chef and owner of Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham was forced to abort an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the highest formal dinner party on Mount Everest last week. After six days adjusting to altitude at base camp (5,182m), Bains developed symptoms of HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema) and was advised by the expedition medic to descend immediately under 2,000m.

Bains is asking the UK hospitality industry to host "A night for Nepal" at their restaurants next Friday, 8 May, and donate the profits - or a percentage of profits - of that evening to the Everest Dinner CAN appeal, which is trying to reach a target of £100,000

For every donation, one of the Everest 2015 Summit Climb & Highest Dinner Party group's key sponsors has agreed to match them pound for pound.

"I have been humbled by the overwhelming messages of support from the Industry and it makes me so proud to be a part of this business. I would like to thank each and every person who has sent me good wishes. The support we've had has been amazing, but it would be incredible if the industry could get behind us one more time to help the people of Nepal.

"Every pound donated will be matched by the St James's Place Foundation with the aim of reaching the £100,000 target now as quickly as possible," said Bains.

"Amanda and I will donate all the profits from Restaurant Sat Bains on Friday, 8 May, and if other restaurants could do something similar - even just a percentage of their profits - I know that we could quickly meet our target. Right now we're at £24,000. If we can all pull together another £26,000, St James's Place will match and boom! We'll have the £100,000 in place and out to Nepal. The people there need the funds now."

Speaking to The Caterer earlier this week, Bains said: "I fear for the death toll. Having travelled through the villages, their houses are made from such rickety bricks so it really wouldn't take much force at all to blow them down. To see such a sunny and lush country reduced to this is just surreal.

"The irony for me is that we were trying to raise £100,000 for Community Action Nepal, and now it's even more relevant. I'm going to do everything I can to help raise that money and I would really like to encourage people to help, even if it's only £1 - we've got to raise that £100,000."

Community Action Nepal is a grass roots-driven charity and the monies it raises are spent on projects that are considered the most urgent by the supported communities themselves. This year, they will need more than ever.

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