Your chance to win a meal for four at a Michelin-starred restaurant!


Fancy taking three friends to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant with a 12-course tasting menu and wine included?

This is the amazing prize donated to my Channel swimming cause by the wonderful chef Alan Murchison, executive chef at the fabulous Michelin-starred L’Ortolan at Shinfield, near Reading. Alan – huuuge thank you for donating this stonking prize!
All you have to do for a chance to win this amazing opportunity is to donate to my Channel swimming efforts through my Virgin Money Giving site between now and 30th September. Your name will go in the hat once for every £10 donated; if you donate £30 your name will go in three times; if you donate £40 it will go in four times and so on.
The prize in detail:

  • ‘Chef’s table’ dinner for four people
  • 12 course tasting menu with a different glass of wine with each course.

For Chef’s table meals you sit at a table in the kitchen in the heart of the action so you can watch everything going on. More details are on L’Ortolan’s website.
You may recognise Alan from both competing and judging for Scotland several times in BBC’s Great British Menu.
I’ve been lucky enough to  eat at L’Ortolan a couple of times, both with tasting menus (but have never sat in the kitchen!) and it really is the most wonderful experience.  The portions and menus are designed brilliantly so that you enjoy each mouthful without feeling full. The food and service are top class but the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Not remotely stuffy or formal. It’s a real treat. So please give what you can.
If you have already donated – thank you! – it’s only your donations since this prize was announced that will count. Tell your friends about it too (and persuade them to take you to L’Ortolan if they win!).
Let’s make the most of this wonderful prize to raise lots of money for my three charities – all small, but beautifully-formed and doing wonderful work:
Home Start Winchester & Districts – support for young families
Friends of the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra – support for school age musicians
Wellbeing of Women – funding research into all things obstetric and gynaecological.
Technical bits
For the ‘raffle/hat’ element of all this – it will all be very low tech.  I will write your name on a piece of paper for each £10 donated, fold it up and put it in a hat. In fact it will be a lidded tupperware – not romantic, but secure!
Re timing – the draw will be made on 30th September and the winner notified the next day.
Lottery licence –  this raffle is being run in accordance with the Gambling Act 2005. The lottery licence number, issued by Winchester City Council, is: Lottery255.
Donate at my Virgin Money Giving fundraising page.
Thank you and good luck!