Tom Aikens and Francesco Mazzei go head-to-head in charity cook-off

For one night only, Mazzei will be inviting Aikens to Fiume, his new Battersea restaurant, for a unique cook-off raising money for The Felix Project

London’s Battersea Power Station will be feeling the heat on Monday February 19, when renowned chefs Francesco Mazzei and Tom Aikens compete in a charity cook-off at Fiume restaurant. All profits from the £35 tickets (which include three courses and a glass of sparkling wine) will go to The Felix Project, a charity that collects surplus food from supermarkets, wholesalers and retailers to provide vulnerable people with meals.

The cook-off will begin when The Felix Project delivers a selection of surprise fresh ingredients to the two chefs. Mazzei and Aikens will then devise a small starter and main course each, with Mazzei placing the emphasis on Italian cuisine and Aikens on his signature modern British fare. After each of those courses, diners will vote for their favourite, pitting the two chefs against each other – there can only be one winner.

The chefs will compete in Fiume’s open kitchen

After the starter and main course, Fiume diners will vote for their favourite dish

“I do everything I can to support The Felix Project, as its core values of reducing food waste and offering healthy meals to vulnerable people are both very close to my heart,” says Mazzei. It is indeed an important cause; recent stats revealed more than 10 million tonnes of food are wasted in the UK each year, yet 870,000 children in England go to bed hungry because their parents are unable to provide the meals they need.

“The Felix Project is an incredible charity, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to take part,” adds Aikens, founder of Tom’s Kitchen. “Francesco is also a good friend of mine, and it will be a pleasure to cook alongside him at Fiume.”