Detoxing for January? No, neither are we and we've just discovered the ideal opportunity to buy lots of chocolate and help a very worthy cause at the same time.
Chocs4Chance is launching a charity auction to sell off special boxes of chocolates made by around 60 top chefs and food writers, just in time for Valentine's Day. The proceeds will go to Galvin's Chance, which helps disadvantaged young people the chance to find work and opportunities in London's top hotels, restaurants and food service firms.
The prestigious chocolate firm Valrhona are donating the chief ingredient and, after last year's inaugural auction raised around £7000, this year they're hoping for a lot more with plenty of other prizes on offer as well as the chocolate boxes.
It's the brainchild of Fred Sirieix and Chris Galvin from the Galvin's Restaurant group (you'll also know Fred from Dinner Dates of course) - and they've managed to get a really impressive range of people involved, from Nuno Mendes to Marcus Wareing.
Alan Pickett, who runs Piquet restaurant told us he was really excited to be involved: "It's giving someone an opportunity to turn a corner in their life, to be able to give them a break. For me Galvin's Chance is about being that ray of sunshine through the clouds."
Jeremy Lee from Quo Vadis was full of praise for the project too: "When one of the nicest and most gentle chefs in the business asks you to do something for his charity you leap at the chance: I love Chris Galvin to bits and can't deny him anything."
Chocolatier Paul A Young is promising to create some completely new chocolates for the auction - and they sound irresistible: rose and raspberry cream cheese salted caramel kisses. "It's so important to inspire a new young generation of creative people with aspirations, goals and dreams. Doing this with food and the infinite creative force this generates is a win-win combination", he said. Anna Hansen, Jose Pizarro, Fergus Henderson, Mark Sargeant, Michel Roux Jnr, Tom Kerridge, Raymond Blanc and lots more are also involved.
The Chocs4Chance auction, based on eBay, opens on Jan 30 and runs until 5 Feb 2016. Winning bids will get their bespoke chocolates just in time for Valentine's Day. For details and a full list of participating chefs and writers - go to chocsforchance.org
