North Staffordshire Michelin-starred charity night raised almost £3,000
Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group welcomed four top chefs to its on-campus restaurant for a special charity dinner - raising £2,900.
The college group's Riverbank Restaurant hosted Tom Shepherd owner of Staffordshire's only Michelin-star restaurant, Upstairs, and Matt Davies - multi-award-winning former chef and vice-president of the British Culinary Federation.
They were joined by Ed Warren of Warren's Restaurant and Sam Large, Head Chef at The Half Moon in Kirdford, a pub owned by model Jodie Kidd.
The event was in support of the Plastic Surgery Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham which provided care for Matt following a severe injury from an electric shock. As a result of his injuries, Matt's left arm was amputated in 2024 after undergoing 70 operations in attempts to save it.
Matt said: "I was honoured to be back in the kitchen, it was a phenomenal evening, cooking with my dear friends too, but to raise an amazing £2900, is absolutely incredible, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is so close to my heart due to me receiving and continuing to receive lifesaving care."
The sell-out evening welcomed guests to the Riverbank Restaurant, where the chefs worked side-by-side in the kitchen with selected NSCG catering students, who had the opportunity to assist throughout the evening.
Guests enjoyed a seven-course fine dining tasting menu, beginning with snacks including polenta fritter with chorizo mayonnaise and manchego and wild mushroom croustade with pickled shallot and tarragon.
This was followed by confit shallot brioche with preserved wild garlic butter and a starter of whipped goat's cheese, heritage beetroot, beetroot ketchup, honey, pistachio and watercress.
The fish course featured Cornish cod with Champagne sauce, English asparagus and confit lemon, followed by a main of summer lamb with carrot, black olive and lamb vinaigrette.
Dessert offered a creative take on strawberry jam with burnt toast and brown butter, concluding with buttermilk caramel chocolates, gooseberry and tonka bean pâte de fruits and a lemon madeleine.
Richard Allan, chef/lecturer and Riverbank Restaurant manager at NSCG said: "The event was an amazing opportunity for our students to work alongside some top chefs from the hospitality Industry and at the same time raise money for such a deserving charity.
"It was incredible to see so many customers enjoying the Riverbank on such an important night."
The evening also saw a raffle take place with prizes including a £100 voucher for Warren's Restaurant and Bar or The Acorn, Afternoon tea for 2 at The Tawny, a 3 course meal with wine at the College's Riverbank Restaurant and a £50 voucher for Lowe's on Carter Street.
Charlotte Schofield, director of fundraising at University Hospital Birmingham Charity said: "It was a phenomenal evening at The Riverbank Restaurant at Stafford College with our amazing fundraiser Matt Davies.
"To see Matt back in the kitchen alongside his fellow chef friends, after 8 years of operations and continuous pain, was incredible and heart-warming."
The Riverbank Restaurant is based on NSCG's Stafford Campus find out more here.
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