We’ve all been affected by the devastating scenes being reported from Australia and with the death toll rising, hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed and close to a billion animals thought to have died – you may well be feeling helpless.
However, we’re pleased to report that many restaurants, brands and Aussie lovers here in the UK have decided to do their bit, hosting a number of fundraisers or launching products in which they’ll donate some or all of their profits to Australian charities.
Our friend Clerkenwell Boy who was born in Sydney and grew up in Australia, has reached out to London’s top restaurants and bars to support the #AustraliaIsBurning Bushfire Appeal and fundraising initiative who have come back with offers of support, big and small.
He says: “Having co-founded the #CookForSyria campaign which raised ~£1 million for children and refugees impacted by the war in Syria …. I wanted to use that experience to quickly do something for the embattled Australian communities affected by the current bushfires.”
In no particular order, we’ve rounded up all the ways you can help and we’ll be updating as we receive more.
The wonderful Wander in Stoke Newington are offering an ‘Australia Day Menu’ from 22nd to 26th January. Priced at £35, the banquet menu will feature Aussie classics such as chicken parmy, meat pie, salt and pepper squid and pavlova. You’ll have the option of adding a four pour wine flight (go, on!) that showcases all of Wander’s Adelaide Hills wine for an additional £30, with 100% of wine flight proceeds going to the appeal, via Wander’s Crowdfunder. Over the weekend (25th and 26th) a small a la carte menu will be offered with some of the Aussie classics. Happy Endings, an ice cream sandwich company run by Sydneysider pastry chef Terri Mercieca, have also teamed up with Wander. They have created a Fairybread Ice Cream Sandwich, a play on the quintessential party food from their childhood, which will be the dessert for the week. For bookings, please visit the Wander website.
Pacific will be hosting a fundraising Australian barbecue-style brunch on Australia Day, 26th January 2020, 11am – 4pm to raise funds for the NSW Rural Fire Services. A charity auction will also be hosted at Pacific, with 100% of the proceeds from the day being donated to the NSW RFS.
Pacific’s Executive Chef, Shaun Presland, is from one of the affected areas in Australia and will be cooking up an Australian barbecue inspired feast. As well as serving cocktail-sized hamburgers and meat pies, Shaun will cook a variety of dishes on the outdoor barbecue, including beef steaks with a choice of tomato, yaki naki and wasabi chimichurri sauces, prawns with garlic shisho butter and chicken wings with honey soy sesame. There will also be a selection of Australian-inspired desserts available, including a deconstructed golden gaytime (a popular Australian ice cream). Guests are recommended to pre-book on Pacific’s website, or else they can simply turn up and pay the £50 entrance fee which will go directly to the NSW Rural Fire Services. All food is unlimited, but drinks will be charged at normal prices, and there will be live music all day, including singer and pianist, Danny Mills.
There will also be an auction held on the day which will include prizes such as a week’s stay at a luxury beach house in Palm Beach, Sydney (valued at over £18,000), a sushi masterclass with Shaun for 6 people and a bespoke dinner for 6 cooked at the winner’s home (both valued at over £1,000). Pacific will also be adding £2 to every bill throughout January and February which will be donated to NSW’s Rural Fire Services.
Crosstown
Tim Tam and Lamington doughnuts are back for Australia Day 2020, and Crosstown will be donating a portion of the sales to WIRES’ emergency fund for animals who have fallen victim to the tragic bushfires across Australia.
The Crosstown Tim Tam doughnut features Crosstown’s cocoa sourdough filled with a chocolate custard made from Tim Tams, topped with a Tim Tam milk chocolate ganache and crushed Tim Tam pieces. Whilst the beloved Lamington doughnut (aka the Lamnut) reimagines a classic lamington in Crosstown doughnut form. Featuring Crosstown cake dough with a layer of homemade raspberry jam through the middle, dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in desiccated coconut.
The limited-edition flavours are available now for pre-order by visiting www.crosstowndoughnuts.com/australia-day-doughnuts-london/.
WIRES donations are as follows:
- 50p from each Tim Tam and Lamington doughnut
- £1.50 from each Australia Day 6pk Box
- £3.00 from each Australia Day 12pk Box (available for pre-order now)
London Borough of Jam Workshop
Lillie O’Brien will be leading one of her legendary half day jam courses, at her LBJ shop in Clapton, with 10% of all tickets sales going to @wireswildliferescue who are supporting wild animals throughout the horrific fires which are currently burning in Australia.
Details as follows:
Forced Rhubarb Jam Workshop
Thursday 6th February,1pm- 5pm
Thursday 27th February,1pm-5pm
The half-day workshop will focus around the basics of jam making, working with seasonal Forced Rhubarb from Yorkshire with the chance to make your own jam, followed by afternoon tea with Lillie and a chat about the world of jam.
Cost: £120 per person
District Coffee
District is donating 20p for every flat white sold in January to support the Australian Bushfires. You can find them in Parsons Green and Embassy Gardens.
Elliot’s
Elliot’s is focusing on the Adelaide Hills wine region, which has been severely affected by the fires. They will be pouring wines from family-run vineyards Vinteloper and Gentle Folk among others, with £1 a glass or £6 a bottle going to the Adelaide Hills Fire Appeal. There will also be a selection of Aussie wines to take away, with £4 from each bottle sold also being donated. Funds collected will directly support local growers and producers. A voluntary £1 donation will also be added onto each bill and matched, which will be donated to each state rural fire service & Wires wildlife rescue.
You can find out more here: www.elliots.london
Flor
Similar to the above, Flor’s wine list is going to be promoting Australian wines by the glass with a £1 donation from each going towards charity.
Throughout January, £1 from every hot cake will be going to charity with an optional £1 added to bills until the end of Feb.
Hawksmoor
On the 26th January – aka Australia Day, steak restaurant Hawksmoor will be asking for a donation from every table, which they will then match. All funds raised with all proceeds going to RFS
Dalston’s Jidori is adding £1 to every bill which will go to charity.
Lily Vanilli Bake Sale
Lily Vanilli’s cakes are legendary and she’ll be hosting a big bake sale at her Columbia Road bakery on the 26th January to raise funds for wildlife and indigenous communities affected by the fires. We’re told lots of great bakeries will be involved, including Happy Endings.
Another fab restaurant promoting Australian wines by the glass with £1 from each going to charity.
This Australian café and natural wine bar in Queen’s Park is donating 30p from every flat white sold and £1 from every wine, cocktail and dish sold on Australia Day with an ambitious goal of raising £3,000. In addition, their next two wine tasting nights will feature Aussie winemakers, taking place on Jan 16th & Jan 29th. To book tickets, email hello@milkbeach.com.
Ottolenghi will be pushing sales on lamington’s with 100% of sales to go to the fires fund. Drop by and snap some up.
James Cochran’s Restaurant 1251 in Islington is adding £1 to every bill.
Skye Gyngell’s Spring in Somerset House will be doing the same, with £1 added to every bill.
Royal baker Claire Ptak is adding £1 to every bill, head to Wilton Way to snap up a scrumptious cake.
Hackney’s sexy wine bar, The Laughing Heart are doing their bit with £1 from every glass and £5 from every bottle of Aussie wine going to charity, as well as all proceeds from their sausage rolls and £1 added onto every bill.
Bright has a very special 5-course dinner planned with; Sebastian Myers (Head Chef P. Franco), Magnus Reid (Legs), William Gleave (Executive Chef Bright), Ixta Belfrage (Ottolenghi Recipe Developer) and Byron Fini (Head Chef of Peg). More info on this as we have it.
Expect a very special Australia Day Dinner (£95pp, all proceeds donated), as well as £2 from every chicken parmigiana sold, £1 from every glass of Australian wine sold and 50p from every Lamington sold.
£1 from each January Vegan special will be donated to WIRES. Butternut squash miso ramen sounds perfect, don’t ya think?
Pressure Drop Brewery presents Help a Mate
Pressure Drop is opening up the brewery for a bake sale and raffle on the 25th January. Kegs have been donated with all proceeds going to charity. Raffle prizes include dinner, drinks and of course, beer. Find out more here.
Ham, West Hampstead are donating £1 from every purchase of biscuits. Time to get dunking.
Seafood experts Wright Bros are adding £1 to every bill and have donated prizes to raffles going on.
Burger & Beyond are listing and promoting Australian wines by the glass – each of which will have a £1 donation going to charity. Chin, chin.
Head to Maltby Street where Dandy are listing and promoting Australian wines by the glass … and each glass will have a £1 donation
As if we needed any encouragement to eat pie – now we feel validated with £1 from each transaction going to WIRES.
Gus at Quality Wines in Farringdon is hosting an incredible wine auction from tomorrow with support from industry heavyweights like Jancis Robinson, get in touch.
