Food Justice
The banquet that’s doing its bit for Bristol’s community food projects
By Edie Attridge
This leap year, Bristolians are making use of the extra day to give back to those less fortunate in our city. 29 February will see Ashton Gate Stadium transformed, ready for a night of fun in the name of charity at the Anti Banquet, a charity event raising vital funds for those struggling with food insecurity in Bristol.
All funds raised by the Anti Banquet will go to the Bristol Local Food Fund (BLFF), a project focusing on food justice with their end goal being access to nutritious food for everyone. The volunteer-led project fundraises from people and businesses across Bristol and allocates these funds to different community food projects that are doing their bit to tackle food insecurity.
As a city, Bristol faces the harsh reality of being one of the most ‘unequal’ cities in the UK, with 12% of its residents relying on food banks weekly. The Anti Banquet is fighting this by asking businesses to purchase one or more tables for the event and donating them to charities and organisations in Bristol who deserve a night off from taking on the world.
Josh Eggleton and his community food company, Team Canteen, came up with the Anti Banquet with the aim of creating a sustainable revenue source for charities and organisations in Bristol working tirelessly to eliminate food poverty in the city. The event turns the idea of the banquet scene on its head by inviting company directors, CEOs, partners and bosses to give up their seats at their table. Instead, they will be joining some of the best chefs in the South West in the kitchen to cook up a storm for their staff members, charity workers and deserving guests who wouldn’t usually get the chance to attend such a fancy occasion.
Joining the big cheeses in the kitchen will, of course, be Josh Eggleton himself, and he’s bringing along some of Bristol’s best-known chefs. Joining him will be Peter Sanchez-Iglesias from Paco Tapas, Jude Kereama from Kota Kai, Ben Harvey from the Bianchi’s Group, Toby Gritten from The Pump House, Hannah Catley from Catley’s Bakery, Shona Graham from Emmeline, Simon Rimmer from Greens and Ashton Gate Stadium’s head chef, George Opondo.
And, of course, the evening will be more than just a dinner. Hosting the event is Bristol’s funniest duo, Joe Simms and Jayde Adams, who will be joined by a star-studded line up of entertainers, including The Invisible Circus and the 45’s – Bristol’s best rock band. With more entertainers to be announced, the evening promises to be filled with fun, laughter and tasty food.
If you would like to purchase a table at the Anti Banquet head over to www.antibanquet.co.uk/products
So, what change do you want to see happen that will transform food in Bristol by 2030? Do you already have an idea for how Bristol can make this happen? Join the conversation now.
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