Last month, London’s chefs, waiters, sommeliers and food writers went toe to toe in a series of charity boxing matches.
Favourite to win was Marcus ‘The Hitman’ Wareing, who competed at amateur level from the age of 11 to 18. Wareing was pitched against keen amateur boxer and Rumble organiser Fred ‘Sugar Fred The
Stinger’ Sirieix, GM at Galvin at Windows. Despite talking the talk, putting up a good fight, and even
going so far as to get sponsorship from Tate & Lyle sugar, Sirieix was beaten by the favourite on the night.
Noticeable by their absence were many of London’s best-known food writers and restaurant critics, who were perhaps unwilling to test the old adage that the pen is mightier than the sword…
‘We asked them all but nobody said yes,’ said Sirieix.
Only Restaurant magazine’s
Stefan ‘The Hatchet’ Chomka took to the ring, fighting – and losing – to El Pirata de Tapas’ head chef Omar ‘El Matador’ Allibhoy (both pictured, left).
‘I can’t imagine many food journalists would have wanted to get into the ring with some angry chefs, especially if they had criticised their restaurant in the past,’ joked Chomka. ‘Luckily, I don’t
have any grudges.’
The event raised £55,000 for Galvin’s Chance, a training programme that offers restaurant-industry apprenticeships to disadvantaged 18-24 year olds.
This article was published in the autumn 2012 issue of Square Meal Lifestyle.