Whirlpool UK Appliances took part, on March 21st in London, in the CEO Cook Off, a Jamie Oliver initiative that brings together the nation’s top chefs and biggest names in UK business for a once in a lifetime evening of cooking, fundraising and feasting.
Chefs and CEOs dished up a banquet to 100s of everyday heroes from schools and hospitals, which aimed to raise over £2 million to fight obesity, hunger and food waste. The money raised will be divided between the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation and UKHarvest.
Following the event, all cooking appliances, which were provided by Hotpoint, will be donated to a variety of schools and children’s charities.
Maurizio Pettorino, Managing Director; Jim McEwan, Sales Director Multi-Channel; and Nick Hughes, Sales Director, Developer Channel, all took part, and swapped their suits for aprons to cook up a feast in aid of charity. It was not an easy challenge for them, but all the guests really enjoyed their food.
“We are delighted with the achievement we reached of raising over £17,000 for these excellent causes. I’m thankful to all the Whirlpool people working in Peterborough site for the commitment and generosity shown during this initiative”, said Maurizio Pettorino, Managing Director.
“It was a challenging experience. Cooking is not my best skill, but we had lots of fun together and the chance to help raise money to fight obesity and food waste in the UK”, said Jim McEwan, Sales Director Multi-Channel.
The CEO Cook Off inspired the UK team to recreate the pressure internally, so they hosted a Directors’ Cook Off in the Jamie Oliver Cookery School in the World of Whirlpool, Peterborough. Department directors from logistics, marketing, service, IT, commercial, HR and finance cooked for their team’s entertainment and dining pleasure. For a small donation, staff were able to eat the food, which included bacon butties, pancakes and pizzas, all helping to raise funds for the CEO Cook Off.
“Participating in the UK CEO Cook Off was a brilliant experience. All the guests were true everyday heroes, and to cook a lovely meal for them was very humbling. I’m so proud of all the money we raised for UKHarvest and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution”, commented Nick Hughes, Sales Director, Developer Channel.
In addition to the internal fundraising event, the Director Cook Off, the UK team held a spin-a-thon challenge to raise additional funds. The Peterborough, UK, site had two stationary bikes available throughout the day, and lots of members of staff took it in turns to help cycle over 160 miles. The distance covered was from Peterborough to Chichester, where UKHarvest is based. Thanks to this initiative the UK Whirlpool employees helped to raise over £17,000 for the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation and UKHarvest.