The World's 50 Best Restaurants Launches Global Fundraising Auction Featuring Bespoke Gastronomic Experiences With the World's Top Chefs

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Jun 16, 2020, 09:00 ET

LONDON, June 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The organisation behind The World's 50 Best Restaurants announces that its
'Bid for Recovery' Auction will debut on 3 July, offering food and travel enthusiasts the opportunity to bid for out-of-this-world gastronomic experiences with the world's best chefs. The first-ever global gastronomic auction on this scale, incredible lots have been donated by the restaurants and chefs featured on the recent World's 50 Best Restaurants lists, as well as by partner brands.

The 50 Best 'Bid for Recovery' Auction is the largest global event of its kind aiming to raise funds that will provide direct and tangible financial relief for restaurants worldwide as they emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. The auction is a key fund-raising element of the 50 Best for Recovery programme, announced last month, in partnership with founding donor S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.

The 50 Best 'Bid for Recovery' Auction will feature more than 100 lots, providing the opportunity for bidders to select from an array of the most extraordinary global gastronomic experiences imaginable, as well as rare and limited-edition items. Some of the bespoke auction lot highlights include:

Mirazur, Menton, France

A DAY WITH MAURO COLAGRECO – CHEF AT THE WORLD'S BEST RESTAURANT

Mauro and Julia Colagreco will welcome two lucky guests to idyllic Menton, visit Mirazur's famous gardens to select produce, meet the fishermen who supply the restaurant's seafood at the harbour, and lunch with Chef Mauro at his organic Pecora Negra pizzeria. Guests will also taste dishes at Mirazur's 'creation kitchen', meet the team and enjoy the full, newly developed tasting menu, before departing with a set of wine glasses and case of wine.

Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, CA, USA

THE INCRENNIBLE EXPERIENCE! HOSTED BY CHEF DOMINIQUE CRENN

This truly unique prize includes a day on Chef Crenn's Bleu Belle Farm, taking in activities such as fermentation, beekeeping and olive oil production. An exclusive wine tasting session with a renowned Californian winemaker will be followed by the tasting menu dinner at Atelier Crenn. The next day, acclaimed pastry chef Juan Contreras will lead guests in a chocolate-making masterclass. The experience culminates in an evening of dinner and drinks at Petit Crenn.

Odette, Burnt Ends, Atlas and more, Singapore

DISCOVER SINGAPORE: CUISINE, COCKTAILS AND CULTURE

As part of this four-day experience with accommodation at both the iconic Marina Bay Sands and opulent Capella Singapore hotels, guests will take in the best of the city's superb cuisine and cocktails. The trip includes: a meal at two-time Best Restaurant in Asia, Odette, a dinner at Burnt Ends and drinks at Atlas; plus a guided tour of Singapore's hawker stalls and time with Odette chef Julien Royer.

Central, Kjolle and Mil, Lima/Cusco, Peru

ULTIMATE THREE-DAY PERUVIAN FOOD SAFARI

Led by world-renowned husband and wife team Virgilio Martínez and Pía León, this adventure includes full dining experiences at both Central and Kjolle in Lima, as well as cocktails and local tours. Guests will then be transported to Cusco, home to Martínez's Mater Iniciativa project and Mil restaurant, to stay at the five-star Explora Valle Sagrado lodge and be led on an exploratory trip through the Sacred Valley near Machu Picchu.

Additional auction lots include:

Ultimate Delhi food experience for four people with Indian Accent, India
Three-day culinary safari in São Paulo with A Casa do Porco, Brazil
Cocktail masterclass, dinner and night in suite at iconic Connaught Hotel, London, UK
Eating, drinking, shopping & clubbing in Berlin with Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Germany
Overnight Soča Valley immersion with Ana Roš from Hiša Franko, Kobarid, Slovenia
Fishing and feasting day with Florilège in Tokyo, Japan
Gastronomy and culture in Vienna with Steirereck, including helicopter tour, Austria
Mexico City tasting tour with Édgar Núñez of Sud777, Mexico
Three days of gastronomic discovery in Moscow with White Rabbit and Selfie, Russia
Explore HK with Amber's Richard Ekkebus; suite at The Landmark hotel, Hong Kong
Plus, rare bottles of spirits, chefs' artworks, private cooking classes, wine region tours, sailing trips, exclusive tastings and bespoke parties all available

The auction will be conducted online at www.50BestForRecovery.com. Potential bidders can view the full selection of lots from 29 June, with the auction opening on 3 July and running until 12 July.

In order to contribute to the global recovery of the hospitality industry, 50 Best will distribute all proceeds of the Recovery Fund to restaurants, bars and non-profit organisations supporting the sector in the following ways:

Direct grants: 50 Best will make direct contributions to restaurants and bars with grants of up to US $5,000 per establishment. Applications will be open to independent restaurants and bars from any country in July (precise dates tbc), according to a number of criteria to be published in the coming weeks. 50 Best is committed to ensuring that the funds are distributed to businesses led by individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Non-profit organisations: 50 Best will make additional donations to a number of charitable organisations that it has identified as supporting restaurants and their staff, as well as feeding those most in need. These include: Lee Initiative's Restaurant Reboot Relief Program and Black Urban Growers, both in the US; Nosso Prato in Brazil; the Eat Out Restaurant Relief Fund in South Africa; the National Restaurant Association of India's Feed the Needy campaign; Horeca Next in Belgium; Italy's Ambasciatori del Gusto; the newly founded Singapore Cocktail Bar Association; and Chefs for Spain, the Spanish arm of World Central Kitchen.
1 million meals: 50 Best will also join forces with Social Gastronomy Movement, a global network of charitable organisations across 38 different countries, in its campaign to provide 1 million meals to those most in need.

William Drew, Director of Content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants, says: "It is heartwarming to see some of the most internationally established chefs and restaurants offering out-of-this-world experiences for the 50 Best 'Bid for Recovery' Auction from 3 July. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity and support from chefs, restaurant owners, bar owners, commercial partners and tourism boards offering truly unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to bidders as we aim to raise as much money as possible to support our industry and give back to the global restaurant sector.

"This is a clear indication of the solidarity of the global restaurant community. Now we ask all those who love restaurants and are blessed with sufficient resources to take part in the auction and, crucially, spread the word to like-minded foodies across the world."

50 Best for Recovery will also see the publication of an e-cookbook entitled Home Comforts: simple lockdown recipes from the world's best chefs and bartenders, which will be unveiled to the public for download on 1 July in exchange for a $10 minimum donation. Money raised from the e-cookbook will also go direct into the 50 Best Recovery Fund and used to support the global restaurant and bar industry.

The 50 Best team continues to offer its heartfelt support to all those businesses and individuals suffering from the effects of the global pandemic. The organisation is hugely grateful to all those in the hospitality world who are dedicating their time and skill to help others, as well as to its partners. 50 Best is committed to using its platform to help fight for equality and inclusivity in the hospitality sector. The Black community has been hit disproportionately hard by coronavirus. This fact has and will continue to help shape the distribution of funds in the 50 Best for Recovery campaign.

All details of the auction will be available on the 50 Best for Recovery webpage, as well as via Instagram @TheWorlds50Best and Facebook @50BestRestaurants.

About The World's 50 Best Restaurants

Since 2002, The World's 50 Best Restaurants has reflected the diversity of the world's culinary landscape. The annual list of the world's finest restaurants provides a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences, in addition to being a barometer for global gastronomic trends. In 2020, The World's 50 Best Restaurants list will not be published; instead the organisation has pivoted to focus its energy and resources on supporting the hospitality community through its 50 Best for Recovery programme.

The 50 Best family also includes Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, The World's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Bars and the #50BestTalks and 50 Best Explores series, all of which are owned and run by William Reed Business Media. 50 Best aims to bring together communities across the hospitality sector to foster collaboration, inclusivity, diversity and discovery and help drive positive change.

About the main sponsor and founding donor: S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna

S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna is the main partner of The World's 50 Best Restaurants and 50 Best for Recovery, as well as founding donor of the 50 Best Recovery Fund. S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the leading natural mineral waters in the fine dining world. Together they interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of excellence, pleasure and well-being.

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