Back to the Floor 5 breaks fundraising record in fun-filled evening

Mark Lewis, chief executive of Hospitality Action, sums up the feelings of every participant and attendee as "joyous, hilarious, humbling and emotional", while the benefits for the many hospitality households that the charity will be able to help out as a direct result of the money raised, will be "transformational".

Some 65 hotel general managers and managing directors, alongside individuals closely connected to the industry (including yours truly and The Caterer's editor James Stagg), put their hearts and souls into ensuring the evening was a success. Recently retired hotel consultant Philip Newman-Hall – organiser with Danny Pecorelli, managing director, Exclusive Collection, of every Back to the Floor dinner since its launch in 2013 – had hoped to beat the highest amount previously collected at a Hospitality Action fund-raiser – £181,000 at the virtual To Hell and Back event in 2021. The target was not just beaten, it was well and truly smashed.

"The generosity of everyone in the room was astounding," he says, still overwhelmed by the achievement. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think that we would reach such a magnificent target."

A night to remember

Undoubtedly, the scale of money raised and the party atmosphere in the room was encouraged by the enormous sense of excitement among guests of being part of a large gathering again following the restrictions of the past two years. The mood was further heightened by an immersive musical performance by London Essentials, which got the waiters dancing as they served the guests.

Peter Crome, chairman of the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle in Dornoch, generously paid for the entertainment, which proved to be an inspired move. "The musical performance lightened the whole mood of the room," says Newman Hall, who celebrated his 66th birthday on the day of the dinner. "People started having fun and began to put their hands in their pockets."

The fun culminated in a conga of waiters and guests, while a highly impressive style of service (akin to a discus being hurled) by Jeremy Goring, managing director of the Goring hotel in London, added to the carnival atmosphere.

In addition to the £45,000 and £32,000 collected from ticket sales and sponsorship respectively, additional funds were raised by tips given to the waiters and sommeliers (£70,000), live and silent auctions (£108,000) and a raffle (£7,000).

The impressive level of tips this year was boosted by the introduction of cashless tipping system TipJar. Launched by James Brown, the managing director of BrewDogBars in 2019 and now live in over 2,000 venues across four countries, TipJar enabled money to be collected through online links ahead of the event and via personalized QR codes on lanyards worn by each waiter and sommelier as they served pre-dinner drinks and then the dinner itself.

An element of competition was introduced between the participants, with guests kept abreast of the leading collector of tips throughout the evening. For much of the event, Tej Walia, resort general manager, Foxhills Club & Resort in Ottershaw, Surrey – boosted by a concerted campaign in the run-up to the dinner (see panel) – topped the leaderboard. Then as dessert was being served, Nicholas Dickinson was propelled to the top of the board with an impressive £10,000 tip from one of the evening's guests (see Viewpoint on page 16 for more).

The generosity of the attendees didn't stop there, with the top three prizes in the live auction overseen by toastmaster Peter Hancock raising £30,000: a wine and dine experience at the Raymond Blanc Cookery School at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (£14,000), 10-seat rugby box at Twickenham Stadium for England v New Zealand match during the Autumn Nations Series 2022 (£9,000), and seven-course tasting menu with wine and overnight stay for six guests at the Ritz London (£7,000).

Smooth sailing

While Sally Beck, general manager of the Royal Lancaster London was the evening's host, the hotel's director of food, beverage and events, Gareth Bush, was responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the dinner, alongside an operations manager, three floor managers and 20 colleagues. He was initially concerned that having so many experienced operators with their own views of how things should be run could be problematic.

Bush need not have worried. "On the day itself everyone checked their ego at the door and gelled together," he says. "Some were a little more competitive than others, but I was really surprised at how easy it was and by the attention that was paid to my briefing and directions throughout the night. The biggest challenge was keeping everyone focused as the fun spirit within the room increased."

Miraculously there were no major mishaps. "I was waiting for a silver service flat to find its way into a guest's lap – but no, it didn't happen."

Bush's initial briefing to the entire team, followed by supplementary briefings during service ensured the three-course dinner – marinated artichoke with salsify and quince, Jerusalem artichoke crisp, herb salad parsley oil; seared fillet of beef, buttered spinach, spring vegetables, fondant potato, Port wine jus; and rhubarb and sour cream mousse, sable Breton, raspberry sorbet – was presented and cleared on time. "The goal was to make the evening run as simply as possible so that the general managers could spend time making money for Hospitality Action," he adds.

A noble cause

Lewis says that as the hospitality sector's benevolent charity, Hospitality Action acts as a safety net to people who work or have worked in the industry and find themselves in difficulty or crisis, whether they be hoteliers, chefs, restaurateurs, or pub and bar staff.

"In normal times we help people through physical and mental health issues, poverty, dependency, relationship breakdown, bereavement – and all the other challenges that can affect us all. But of course, these are not normal times," he explains. "The pandemic hit the hospitality industry like a hammer blow." The demand for help had never been higher. On the day that Hospitality Action opened its emergency grants portal in March 2020, the charity received 21,000 applications for help within the first hour. Since then, Hospitality Action has spent £2.5m offering financial support to more than 8,000 households.

Now, with the soaring cost of living, the situation for many is desperate, with debts accruing and in-work poverty increasing. "For some people, this means having to decide between putting a roof over their head or food on their table," says Lewis. "Our intention is to support everyone who comes to us in some way."

A final word goes to a recent beneficiary, shared by Lewis with the waiters and sommeliers on the night, highlighting the importance of the work of Hospitality Action: "I can't tell you the relief and gratitude I have. I was floored when I saw your email and burst into tears. Financial stress has been causing issues in the family and to wake up knowing the panic is gone and I can stay in my house – what you've given me is incredible. After all that's happened it's surreal to have a lifeline just appear. You literally saved me – thank you."

Tej Walia on returning to the floor

Tej Walia, who has been general manager at the 70-bedroom Foxhills Club & Resort in Ottershaw, Surrey, for nearly four years, was excited to take part in his first Back to the Floor event.

"I am a very competitive person by nature, so I had to ensure that I tapped into every resource possible to raise as much money as I could," he says.

"I regard Hospitality Action as an essential organisation, especially in the current climate. I therefore requested the support from all my family, friends, colleagues and patrons, and used my social media to raise awareness of the event and the charity."

Walia, who describes himself as "naturally cheeky", had no hesitation in asking for support from the members at Foxhills, which comprises two golf courses, three restaurants, swimming pool, gym, health spa and tennis courts, and was grateful when they got behind the cause.

"The vibe on the night was fantastic; everyone's competitive stride really started to show. I was working on the drinks reception so I made sure as I served gin and tonics, I supplied my fundraising lanyard with every glass so the guests could donate.

"During the dinner service I used that opportunity to go to other tables other than my own to ask guests to tip me! I guess the cause is so great that no one will say no if you are willing to get stuck in. The funny part was that by the end of the evening, I was even getting tipped by the other servers working at the event!

"We all had great fun raising money for such a worthy cause and I look forward to being part Back to the Floor 6."

The top-10 tipped waiters

1. Nicholas Dickinson, owner, Congham Hall Hotel & Spa, Congham, Norfolk £10,760

2. Tej Walia, general manager, Foxhills Club & Resort, Ottershaw, Surrey £4,905.40

3. Danny Pecorelli, managing director, Exclusive Collection £3,545.44

4. Harry Murray, president, HOSPA £2,529

5. Sal Gowili, general manager, the Ritz London £2,425

6. Gary Gruber, managing director, the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, Dornoch £1,821.44

7. Alexander Wilson, front officer manager, the Goring, London £1,617

8. Tara Crabb, hotel director, the Pig on the Beach, Studland Bay, Dorset £1,590

9. Stuart Johnson, managing director, Brown's hotel, London £1,569

10. Andrew Coney, general manager, the Hari, London £1,346