Birmingham restaurant raises funds for hospitality workers benefit.
Staff from Fazenda Birmingham swapped skills and tried their hand at new roles in the restaurant for one night only, whilst helping the group raise over £18,000 for charity Hospitality Action.
Known as ‘Social Sunday’, chefs traded their whites with waiters who took up kitchen roles of preparing salads and vegetables, whilst the reception team took residence behind bar, preparing and serving the full menu of cocktails.
The evening was a success for both the staff who swapped job roles and for the amount of proceeds raised, £18,217.85. The proceeds raised will go to the Hospitality Action charity, which aims to help provide funds to support people who work, or have worked, in hospitality and find themselves in crisis. The evening rodizio menu price was reduced by £5 for Fazenda’s valued guests with all proceeds from the food sales during the Sunday service being donated to Hospitality Action.
Social Sunday is the brainchild of the charity’s principal patron and renowned chef, Jason Atherton who has created the event to celebrate the best UK hospitality has to offer, showcasing amazing food, service and unique experiences.
Mark Lewis, CEO at Hospitality Action, said: “We loved City District Group’s creative take on how to raise funds. Their brave decision paid off handsomely as they raised vital funds for our charity.
“Behind their smiles and slick service, hospitality workers can fall upon hard times just like anybody else. Ours is a stressful industry, with long hours, high pressure environments and physically demanding work.
“Hospitality Action provides hospitality workers with financial, physical and psychological support to help them overcome adversity and get back to work as quickly as possible.”
The charity helps individuals and their families stay afloat with grants to cover anything from rent payments to school uniform for their children, as well as providing support for the older generation who have retired from the industry. The charity provides grants to help with heating bills, home conversions or even funeral costs for loved ones. Just as importantly, they provide a lifeline to prevent loneliness and isolation and their ‘Golden Friends’ enjoy regular contact and local events to help them stay active and connected to their community.
Tomas Maunier, managing director of City District, said: “Every year we make it our aim to support Hospitality Action. Our creative idea this year allowed us to raise a lot of money for the charity whilst highlighting an important subject that is regularly discussed amongst those who work in the industry
“By swapping job roles, it highlighted the hard work that goes into creating the perfect meal, service and atmosphere. Each member of staff is a valuable member of the Fazenda team with each job role in the industry requiring talent and a variety of skills.
“The evening was an overall success and we are beyond pleased with the results, which was all down to the diligence of the staff.
“Hospitality Action is a great cause and it’s therefore always a privilege to support them in any way that we can as they play a pivotal role in keeping the hospitality industry afloat.”
You can support Hospitality Action www.hospitalityaction.org.uk