If you're looking for a mince pie with a difference this Christmas - and no, we don't mean Heston's pine-tree scented ones - then head on over to The Mince Pie project right now. This brilliant charity wheeze has 36 of the country's best chefs putting up a batch of 50 of their finest mince pies for auction.
Each chef's pies will be different, so Manson's Alan Stewart will be made with an almond and ginger sweet pastry while Masterchef's Greg Wallace will employ a traditional recipe, using lamb in his homemade mincemeat and Ashley Palmer-Watts' ones will be deep-fried.
Every penny raised by the endeavour will then be divided equally between Action Against Hunger and The Jamie Oliver Foundation.
The chefs taking part are: Richard Bertinet (The Bertinet Kitchen), Raymond Blanc (Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons), Antonin Bonnet (The Greenhouse), Claude Bosi (Hibiscus Restaurant), Adam Byatt (Trinity), William Drabble (Seven Park Place), Alexis Gauthier (Gauthier Soho), Angela Hartnett (Murano), Angelo Ercolano (Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester), Marcus Eaves (Pied a Terre), Skye Gyngell (Petersham Nurseries Cafe), Anna Hansen (The Modern Pantry), Henry Harris (Racine), Nigel Haworth (Northcote Manor), Fergus Henderson (St John), Phil Howard (The Square Restaurant), Edd Kimber (The Great British Bake Off), Eric Lanyard, Jeremy Lee (Quo Vadis), Bruno Loubet (Bistrot Bruno Loubet), James Martin (The Leeds Kitchen), Martin Nisbet (Angelus Restaurant), Ashley Palmer-Watts (Dinner by Heston), Stevie Parle (The Dock Kitchen), Tony Phillips (Fifteen Apprentice), Bruce Poole (Chez Bruce), Glynn Purnell (Purnells), Ben Spalding (Roganic), Alan Stewart (Manson), Olivier Limousin (L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon), Michel Roux Jr (Le Gavroche), Luigi Vespero (Galvin Bistrot de Luxe), Gregg Wallace (Wallace & Co.), Tristan Welch (Launceston Place), Bryn Williams (Odette’s) and Marcus Wareing (The Gilbert Scott).
Bidding opens at 9am on Friday 9 December 2011 and closes at 6pm on Friday 16 December 2011. The winning bids will have their batch of freshly-cooked pies delivered by courier on the 22 December 2011. Place your bid at The Mince Pie Project auction page.
