Harpenden Celebrity Chef Supports Charity’s Brunch Campaign

A celebrity chef from Harpenden is lending his support to a charity campaign which is asking people across the UK to get brunching this June to raise money for fatally ill children.

The MasterChef contestant and author, Theo Michaels, is supporting ‘Harrison’s Brunch’ a fundraising campaign from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy charity, Harrison’s Fund.

In his role as brunch ambassador Theo has created a special Harrison’s Brunch meal plan, a no-fuss kedgeree dish, in his recently launched FiveDinners Meal subscription service.

And for everyone who signs up to FiveDinners during the month of June using the code ‘HARRISONSBRUNCH’ they will get half price membership for the year (£24 instead of £48) and Theo will donate £5 for every person using the code.

Theo, who is a regular face on ITV’s This Morning, said: ‘I’ve been supporting the charity’s campaign for the last few years now and have got to know Harrison during this time. Like a lot of people with life-changing conditions, this last year will have been extra tough for children with Duchenne and their families as they will have had to self-shield and be extra careful throughout the restrictions. Now we are all coming out the other side of it, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than a get together with your friends and family with good food for a great cause.

‘Our Harrison’s Brunch-inspired meal includes one of Harrison’s favourite foods – smoked fish – and it’s a simple and easy one to cook together as a family and you can just change the serving size to accommodate for all your guests.’

And for everyone who takes part and hosts a brunch they will automatically be entered into a competition to win a year’s subscription to Theo’s Five Dinners Meal Planner*.

The campaign is also being supported by actress Alison Steadman who shared her favourite brunch recipe to inspire others. She said: ‘My favourite brunch is smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, lemon, pickled gherkins, pickled herring with a selection of olives and sundried tomatoes. All accompanied by a glass of Buck’s Fizz.

‘This was our regular Sunday brunch when my two sons were children and teenagers, and it brings back happy memories of us all together sharing. We still meet up occasionally and share this brunch and there is always a discussion about the best bagels and where to buy them!’

Harrison’s Fund is named after the 14-year-old Harrison Smith from Surrey who was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare genetic condition which affects all the muscles in the body, causing them to waste away.  The charity’s goal is to get as much money as possible into the hands of the world’s best researchers, who are working to find a cure for Duchenne. Harrison’s Fund is currently funding three research projects in the US and the UK.

All the proceeds from Harrison’s Brunch will go directly into the hands of scientists. The charity is currently working with Sutura Therapeutics which is creating pioneering technologies to improve the delivery and efficiency of Duchenne treatments and ensure that the drugs are getting into the muscles in the body as effectively as they should.

Laura Morgan, events and fundraising manager at Harrison’s Fund said: ‘With the restrictions being lifted as of the 21 June, it is the perfect time to get together with your friends and family and host a brunch – if this past year or so has taught us anything it’s the importance of spending time with those you love.

‘Duchenne is a cruel, relentless and fatal condition that affects 2,500 children in the UK and thousands more across the world. So as you get flipping those pancakes and crunching that granola, know that you’ll be giving hope to parents who are watching their child lose the use of their muscles and deteriorate before their very eyes. The more people who join in, the more families we can give hope to and defEAT this disease once and for all.’

To help make every brunch a huge success, the charity has put together a free fundraising kit, jam-packed full of materials including bunting, posters, fundraising tips and celebrity chef recipes to inspire, including the charity’s own ambassador, ‘This Morning’ TV Chef Theo Michaels, who has provided a recipe for courgette, spinach and feta fritters with poached egg and griddled sourdough.

To join in and get brunching please visit: www.harrisonsfund.com  or to sign up to the FiveDinners service please visit fivedinners.com.

*T&Cs of the competition can be found on the charity’s website.

Image: Theo Michaels and Harrison Smith (pre-Covid)