The 50 Best for Recovery programme, supporting restaurants worldwide in partnership with S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, enters a new phase with the official launch of the ‘Bid for Recovery’ online auction of out-of-this-world gastronomic experiences, which will run from 3-12 July. Discover everything you need to know about the fundraising initiative and savour some initial highlights as you plan a bid for your ultimate food experience
Food and travel enthusiasts, mark Friday 3rd July in your diary: this date will see the launch of our ‘Bid for Recovery’ auction, an opportunity to bid for once-in-a-lifetime gastronomic experiences donated by the world’s best restaurants and chefs, as well as 50 Best’s partner brands. The largest global event of its kind, the auction – part of our wider 50 Best for Recovery campaign – will raise funds to provide direct and tangible financial relief for restaurants worldwide as they emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ‘Bid for Recovery’ auction will feature more than 150 incredible lots, providing an opportunity for bidders to select from an array of extraordinary global gastronomic experiences. The auction will be conducted online, with food lovers able to make their bids between Friday 3rd and Sunday 12th July. The full selection of lots is available to view online on the Digital Auction Catalogue, while the website 50BestForRecovery.com will be live from Wednesday 1st July, ahead of the auction officially opening two days later. Until then, enjoy a taste of what’s to come with these highlights:
A DAY WITH MAURO COLAGRECO – CHEF AT THE WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANT
Menton, France
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.
Mauro and Julia Colagreco (image: Matteo Carassale); Mirazur dish with Sanremo prawns, raspberries and raw almonds (image: Eduardo Torres)
THE INCRENNIBLE EXPERIENCE! HOSTED BY CHEF DOMINIQUE CRENN
San Francisco, USA
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.
Inside Atelier Crenn; Chef Dominique Crenn (image: Amanda Demme)
DISCOVER SINGAPORE: CUISINE, COCKTAILS AND CULTURE
Singapore
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.
Marina Bay Sands shot from Gardens by the Bay (image: Destination Singapore)
ULTIMATE THREE-DAY PERUVIAN FOOD SAFARI
Lima and Cusco, Peru
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.
Restaurant Mil in the Andes; Chefs Pía León and Virgilio Martínez
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 the iconic Connaught Hotel, London, UK
- Eating, drinking, shopping and 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; including suite at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental 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
All funds raised through the ‘Bid for Recovery’ auction and the overall 50 Best for Recovery programme will go towards providing financial relief for restaurants worldwide as they emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. Independent restaurants and bars across the world will be able to apply for a direct grant in July. Additional donations will be made to non-profit organisations supporting restaurants while also feeding the hungry, including: Lee Initiative’s Restaurant Reboot Relief Program (US); Black Urban Growers (US); Nosso Prato (Brazil); the Eat Out Restaurant Relief Fund (South Africa); Feed the Needy (India); Horeca Next (Belgium); Ambasciatori del Gusto (Italy); Chefs for Spain, and the worldwide Social Gastronomy Movement. Full details of how the funds will be distributed are available on our Recovery Hub.
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 1st July in exchange for a $10 minimum donation. Money raised from the e-cookbook will also go directly into the 50 Best Recovery Fund and be used to support the global restaurant and bar industry.
Chefs and restaurateurs have taken care of us for a long time. Now it’s time we take care of them. Help save restaurants by spreading the word about the ‘Bid for Recovery’ auction and sharing this article to your friends, family and on your social media channels and, of course, start thinking about the lots where you will make your bids.
Learn more about the auction in our video and subscribe to 50 Best TV for more content:
Stay tuned over the next few weeks to discover more of the incredible experiences included in the 50 Best ‘Bid for Recovery’ auction, and follow us on Instagram @TheWorlds50Best, on Facebook @50BestRestaurants and on Twitter @TheWorlds50Best to stay up to date with the latest news.
