Give me five! - North Wales Magazine

Gwledd Dewi Sant promises to be a spectacular evening where five chefs serve five courses, along with five matching wines – and it’s all in the name of a good cause…

On Thursday 27th February The Quay Hotel in Deganwy is hosting Gwledd Dewi Sant – an evening of fine food and drink.

However, there are two things that make this event stand out from the crowd. Firstly, it is the unusual set up that is taking place behind the scenes at The Quay, for each of the five courses is being created by a different chef. And it’s not any old chef line up either – Gwledd Dewi Sant has secured five of the best chefs in the region in order to ensure that this will be a meal to remember.

After some delicious canapés and a glass of Gavi Spumante, Wayne Roberts of Gorse Hill will serve his hotly anticipated starter. Mark Threadgill of Portmeirion is responsible for the fish course, while Graham Tinsley MBE, head chef at Carden Park Hotel, will be creating the main. Glyn Roberts, of the Castle Cottage in Harlech, is serving a twice-baked cheese soufflé before The Quay’s very own Ian Watson makes your mouth water with a divine dessert. And, as each course has been paired with a wine that compliments the flavours perfectly, you can be assured that you are in for a fantastic evening.

However, it doesn’t stop there, because the second reason that this isn’t your average event is the reason why Gwledd Dewi Sant is being hosted in the first place.

There are currently over 2,000 food banks in the UK. To put that number into perspective, there are only 1,300 McDonald’s restaurants – so you can see the vital role that food banks are currently playing in our country. Conwy Food Bank is no exception, and its existence relies solely on the generosity of local people, and fund raising events such as this one.

Last year Gwledd Dewi Sant raised over £10,000 for Conwy Food Bank, and it was money that was desperately needed by the charity. That single donation allowed for the food bank to take over the running of a Sanctuary Trust Van that was previously used for the projects in Rochdale. It paid for the insurance, vehicle tax, MOT, repairs and put on new tyres. This has been of huge benefit to the Food Bank as the team are now able to pick up larger donations from organisations and businesses, pick up from multiple donation points on the same trip and employ more volunteer drivers in order to ensure that there is a driver five days a week.

With the Gwledd Dewi Sant donation the food bank could also continue to pay six months salary of a Food Bank Co-coordinator. In addition, it has been able to part-fund with The Sanctuary Trust the new role of Project and Marketing Manager to progress the food bank further, and hopefully increase donations further still.

Finally, the funds raised at last year’s event allowed the food bank to expand the ranges of products for babies and children. This includes nappies and pull-up pants, wipes, baby food and milk, cotton wool and cotton buds and bed mats. Previously the donations of these was very sporadic and unreliable, but now supplies are regularly bought and kept topped up with many families who are desperate for these items helped regularly.

So, if you’d like to help out the Conwy Food Bank this month then all you need to do is put your money where your mouth is – quite literally! Tickets for the event cost £95, and there will be an auction of prizes on the night in a bid to raise as much for the Conwy Food Bank as possible.

“It’s a pleasure for us to prepare a fine dining banquet for an educated and appreciative audience – and even more so considering that all the proceeds to go to families who struggle to put food on the table,” concluded chef Glyn Roberts.

Book now to ensure that the efforts of these fine five chefs are used to maximum effect…