Celebrating Talent through Fine Dining

On April 25th, we welcomed Sam and Annalie, stars of 'Kitchen Impossible,' to our Country Centre in preparation for our fine dining event, Food 4 Thought. 

Before we got into the evening, we had a whole day of activities where the people we support got to meet and spend some one-on-one time with the Kitchen Impossible team. The morning commenced with a Q&A, where we were also joined online by the show's stars, Beth and Sophia. Lots of great questions were asked about the Channel 4 series, how to prepare for interviews, and even recipe suggestions were floating around.

There was an opportunity for photos with Sam and Annalie before we headed outside to give Sam a grand tour of the farm, particularly the Alpacas! But the clock ticked on, and it was time to get ready for the main event. 

The tables were set, and with an outfit change later, the teams were ready to welcome our special guests. With Prosecco at the ready, we gathered in the conference room to mingle and decide on how many raffle tickets to buy. Who would want to pass on the opportunity to win a 7-day retreat in Cornwall? Or a brand-new HP laptop? Nintendo Switch? Swarovski Earrings? It was an impressive list of goods to be won!

7 pm rang, and everyone got seated in the Quarry Café. Sue Livett, Managing Director of Aldingbourne Trust, was first up to welcome everyone and share the concept of Food 4 Thought. She spoke of how we were inspired by Michel Roux Jr.'s Kitchen Impossible Series and how we put our thoughts and feelings into action. 

In a room full of local businesses and change-makers, we didn't just speak about Supported Employment; we delivered it. We created an opportunity for these brilliant staff members to shine and how, given the chance, they can be any one of these businesses' biggest assets. They ran the show, from the meeting and greeting to preparing the food, serving and topping up glasses, and chatting with guests.

Hayley Prince shared with us, "I am struggling to put into words how amazing last night was! I came away feeling so inspired and proud of what you have all achieved. It felt incredible to be involved in something so special."
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We created 14 paid opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autism, who put on a brilliant show for 65 paying guests on the night. We could not be prouder! Congratulations, and thank you to everyone involved.

Are you interested in learning more about our Supported Employment service, WorkAid? Visit our website: https://www.supportedemploymentwestsussex.org/workaid.html

​Written by Lizzie Williams. For any media inquiries, please get in touch with [email protected] ​