A Moroccan Soiree in the heart of Hampshire
17 September 2015
For one magical night a corner of Hampshire is being transformed into an enchanted north-African wonderland by leading fresh food supplier and processor, Barfoots of Botley.
A glamorous Moroccan Soirée is being organised by the West Sussex company in aid of Farm Africa, a top UK charity that provides smallholder farmers in eastern Africa with skills, tools and training so they can produce more food and prosper.
Two hundred guests will gather on Saturday 19 September in the beautiful surroundings of Lower Brownwich Farm in Titchfield, Hampshire. The black-tie event will feature a delicious feast served in cast-iron tagines, a luxury auction and music from soul band, Love Train.
Established in the early 1970’s by Peter Barfoot, Barfoots of Botley is a family-run business that works with major supermarkets across the UK as well as with leading national restaurant chains. As farmers in Africa themselves, Barfoots have chosen to support Farm Africa because they understand that by providing seeds, tools and expertise to help rural farmers, the cycle of hunger and poverty can be broken for good.
Jon Barfoot, Barfoots’ Commercial Director, explains:
“We are farmers who farm in Africa, and as a commercial company it’s important for us to have a social purpose. Food, farming and future sustainability is a massive global issue, and Farm Africa is a fantastic charity that is making a real, long term difference.
“We want to make people aware of what Farm Africa is doing and raise as much money as we can for the cause. We also want people to have a jolly good time. We have some fantastic prizes to auction and have well known London soul collective Love Train performing. It’s going to be a great night and we are very excited.”
The organising team at Barfoots has been working tirelessly to ensure the evening raises as much money as possible. An impressive array of unique prizes has been donated to be auctioned off live. Some of the stand-out one-offs include: a Pablo Picasso colour lithograph; a luxury stay for two in Marrakesh; a seven course dinner in the Michelin-starred restaurant L’Ortolan; and a stay in a beautiful Cornwall cottage.
Fantastic supporters of Farm Africa since 2011, the Barfoots family has really taken the charity to heart. Peter Barfoot’s daughter Jo-Anne raised over £14,000 at the 2015 London Marathon, while son Jon is climbing Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro next year to raise funds, and this weekend’s extravaganza is being organised by his wife Kelly. Meanwhile Company Director Julian Marks has already climbed Kilimanjaro and undertaken a gruelling six-day trek across the Great Rift Valley. Alongside other fantastic fundraising events by staff, a whopping £94,000 has been raised by Barfoots in support of farmers across eastern Africa.
A limited number of tickets are still available for this Saturday’s Moroccan Soirée. For more information please email Sophie and Rebecca on RSVP@barfoots.co.uk .
All the money raised from the event will go towards the Food for Good campaign, created by Farm Africa to bring together the food and hospitality industries to help tackle one of the world’s most pressing problems: hunger.
Ends
Notes to Editor:
Event Details:
Where: Saturday 19 September 2015
Where: Lower Brownwich Farm, Titchfield, Hampshire
Dress: Black tie
Tickets: £125
For media enquires please contact Tara Carey at the Farm Africa press office on:
T:020 7841 5156
M: 07971 556340
About Farm Africa:
Farm Africa supports farmers living at subsistence level and constantly at risk of crop failure, to build food and income security so that they can grow a better and reliable future.
Farm Africa believes passionately that smallholders can and will play a key role in achieving rural prosperity in Africa, and provides training so they can become more commercial, adding value to surpluses by milling, drying, or turning their produce into products that fetch a higher price. By focusing on ‘climate-smart’ agricultural and forestry techniques, building market links and adding value to production, Farm Africa unleashes the entrepreneurial abilities of the farmers and rural communities they work with.
For more information about Farm Africa please visit www.farmafrica.org or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
About Barfoots of Botley:
Barfoots grow, process, pack and market a range of semi-exotic produce. The business follows a holistic approach which enables a successful balance between a sustainable, cutting edge and environmentally considerate farming system with the production of high quality, commercially viable, fresh food.
Find out more about Barfoots at www.barfoots.co.uk
About Food for Good:
The Barfoots Moroccan Soirée is part of Food for Good, a Farm Africa initiative that brings together the food and hospitality industry to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing the world today: hunger. More details about Food for Good, including how to donate or to become a sponsor, are available here: http://www.farmafrica.org/foodforgood
