Top chefs have come together to make Valentine’s Day a little bit more special to help young people who are not in education or employment, by participating in Chocs for Chance.
A 10 day online auction called Chocs for Chance will be held on eBay from 27 January 2017 and we are going to be there ready for that bidding war.Everyone is invited to bid on the luxury Valrhona chocolate boxes for their loved ones to receive on Valentine’s Day. The auction will not only provide the perfect gift for a loved one on Valentine’s Day, but what's more, it will help provide more young people with the opportunity to participate in Galvin’s Chance.
Galvin’s Chance is an inspirational into-work programme for young people in London who face barriers to employment. The programme seeks to predominantly target those at risk of crime and offer them a real alternative.
Galvin’s Chance was founded by Chris Galvin, Chef Patron, and Fred Sirieix, General Manager of the Michelin-starred restaurant Galvin at Windows and star of Channel 4’s “First Dates”.
[caption id="attachment_11241" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
"The hospitality industry is waiting for you". Fred Sirieix's inspiring pep talk to the new Galvin's Chance participants today at Galvin at Windows. — in London, United Kingdom. Image: Facebook/Galvin's Chance[/caption]The programme takes 15-20 young people a year and offers them training and opportunities for a front of house career in some of the most prestigious hotels, restaurants and food service management organisations in London.
Galvin’s Chance candidates undertake a three weeks training programme and are guaranteed an interview and work placement in some of London’s top hotels restaurants, such as the Dorchester. Since 2009, a total of 160 young people have enrolled in the programme, and 80% of them have gone on to secure long term, successful careers. Others have started their own businesses or gone to secure employment in other sectors.
To raise money to support this cause, Fred and Chris have gathered well-known chefs, chocolatiers, bakers and food writers to take part in Chocs for Chance, in previous years Raymond Blanc OBE and Paul A Young have been involved. In the two years the auction has been running it has raised just under £15,000 to give disadvantaged young people in London a second chance.
This year the Valrhona, the prestigious French chocolate company, will donate the delicious chocolate couverture which chefs will use to create their masterpieces.
“Galvin’s Chance is amazing because it is about the industry giving a chance to young people. We believe success is contextual and so if you give people guidance, opportunities and support, they will succeed and that is why we do it” - Fred Sirieix.
For more information and links to all of the chef’s profiles and chocolate boxes, please visit: http://www.chocsforchance.org
