Chef Ollie Dabbous is cooking for a charity event at London Zoo
Ollie Dabbous, Michelin-starred chef and protégé of Raymond Blanc, is getting his teeth into a charity-led project at London Zoo – and tigers will be present.
Dabbous is developing a special three-course menu for a fundraising dinner that will include encounters with the attraction’s tigers, wallabies, kangaroos and more.
The event has been organised by bespoke catering solutions agency Ampersand and proceeds are going to Hospitality Action, a charity that helps support members of the hotel and restaurant industry who fall on hard times.
“I was approached with the idea for the event by Tim Jones and Bill Toner from CH&Co Group, the parent company of Ampersand,” says Dabbous. “They asked and I said yes, very simply because it’s a good cause, they’re nice folk at Ampersand and it sounded like fun, both for me and the diners. Of course, there is always a challenge when you are cooking away from your own kitchen, but by being smart with the menu and organisation, you can make things more manageable.”
Dabbous, dubbed the “most-wanted chef in Britain”, worked under Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and at the Fat Duck and Noma. He opened his eponymous award-winning restaurant in London in 2012 with business partner Oskar Kinsberg – and two years later the duo launched their second venture, Barnyard in Fitzrovia.
The charity dining event will incorporate different elements of the London Zoo attraction, including the opportunity to enjoy Indonesian and Australian-themed areas.
“Guests will enjoy a champagne and canapé reception overlooking Tiger Territory,” Dabbous says. “On the way over to the Mappin Pavilion, where dinner will be served, guests will be able to feed and have photos taken with llamas.”
It’s not the first time the star chef has prepared a menu for an unusual setting. In June, he led a pop-up restaurant for a charity event at Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries to coincide with a British art pre-sale exhibition. Designing the dishes for the tasting menu, Dabbous was inspired by the shapes and colours of the artworks on show. This time, however, he won’t be taking inspiration from the surroundings.
“I haven’t taken inspiration from the zoo itself. I’m just focused on serving delicious, seasonal food. Given the location, there will be enough sights and sounds going on all around the diners. Making the food themed as well may feel like overkill.”
Tickets cost £135 ($175, €157) per person and are available at hospitalityaction.org.uk. The event takes place on 27 September.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2016 issue 3
Editor’s Letter: Place-Shifting
Technology is giving us the
power to Place-Shift experiences
to create on-demand, immersive
attractions in any location
Promotional Feature: EAS - Beautiful Horizons
The attractions industry is set to descend upon one of Europe’s
most inspiring cities – Barcelona. And if it’s inspiration
you’re looking for, the Euro Attractions Show is the place
Theme Parks: Desert Operations
On the brink of an entertainment revolution, Dubai looks forward to three major theme park openings. Attractions Management caught up with key decision- makers from the upcoming attractions
Mystery Shopper: Disney Delights
Disneyland Shanghai is the company’s first new theme park resort since 2005 and its biggest investment to date. TEA president-elect David Willrich went undercover to find out what Disney’s doing differently
Analysis: Part 3 - Benchmarking
Consultant David Camp asks how we measure success as he focuses on benchmarking and market penetration rates in part three of the series
Opinion: Media Frenzy
Is it time for media-based rides to raise their game? Gavin and Jason Fox, creative directors from Oscar-winning special effects studio Framestore, believe Hollywood-standard content is the next step for the industry
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Chef Ollie Dabbous is cooking for a charity event at London Zoo
Ollie Dabbous, Michelin-starred chef and protégé of Raymond Blanc, is getting his teeth into a charity-led project at London Zoo – and tigers will be present.
Dabbous is developing a special three-course menu for a fundraising dinner that will include encounters with the attraction’s tigers, wallabies, kangaroos and more.
The event has been organised by bespoke catering solutions agency Ampersand and proceeds are going to Hospitality Action, a charity that helps support members of the hotel and restaurant industry who fall on hard times.
“I was approached with the idea for the event by Tim Jones and Bill Toner from CH&Co Group, the parent company of Ampersand,” says Dabbous. “They asked and I said yes, very simply because it’s a good cause, they’re nice folk at Ampersand and it sounded like fun, both for me and the diners. Of course, there is always a challenge when you are cooking away from your own kitchen, but by being smart with the menu and organisation, you can make things more manageable.”
Dabbous, dubbed the “most-wanted chef in Britain”, worked under Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and at the Fat Duck and Noma. He opened his eponymous award-winning restaurant in London in 2012 with business partner Oskar Kinsberg – and two years later the duo launched their second venture, Barnyard in Fitzrovia.
The charity dining event will incorporate different elements of the London Zoo attraction, including the opportunity to enjoy Indonesian and Australian-themed areas.
“Guests will enjoy a champagne and canapé reception overlooking Tiger Territory,” Dabbous says. “On the way over to the Mappin Pavilion, where dinner will be served, guests will be able to feed and have photos taken with llamas.”
It’s not the first time the star chef has prepared a menu for an unusual setting. In June, he led a pop-up restaurant for a charity event at Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries to coincide with a British art pre-sale exhibition. Designing the dishes for the tasting menu, Dabbous was inspired by the shapes and colours of the artworks on show. This time, however, he won’t be taking inspiration from the surroundings.
“I haven’t taken inspiration from the zoo itself. I’m just focused on serving delicious, seasonal food. Given the location, there will be enough sights and sounds going on all around the diners. Making the food themed as well may feel like overkill.”
Tickets cost £135 ($175, €157) per person and are available at hospitalityaction.org.uk. The event takes place on 27 September.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2016 issue 3
Editor’s Letter: Place-Shifting
Technology is giving us the
power to Place-Shift experiences
to create on-demand, immersive
attractions in any location
Promotional Feature: EAS - Beautiful Horizons
The attractions industry is set to descend upon one of Europe’s
most inspiring cities – Barcelona. And if it’s inspiration
you’re looking for, the Euro Attractions Show is the place
Theme Parks: Desert Operations
On the brink of an entertainment revolution, Dubai looks forward to three major theme park openings. Attractions Management caught up with key decision- makers from the upcoming attractions
Mystery Shopper: Disney Delights
Disneyland Shanghai is the company’s first new theme park resort since 2005 and its biggest investment to date. TEA president-elect David Willrich went undercover to find out what Disney’s doing differently
Analysis: Part 3 - Benchmarking
Consultant David Camp asks how we measure success as he focuses on benchmarking and market penetration rates in part three of the series
Opinion: Media Frenzy
Is it time for media-based rides to raise their game? Gavin and Jason Fox, creative directors from Oscar-winning special effects studio Framestore, believe Hollywood-standard content is the next step for the industry
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Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
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A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
