The Soul Food Director Dom Clarke has told how he chose to ignore the political situation in Calais to feed people in need.
The businessman spent three days volunteering for the Refugee Community Kitchen with his pal Lap-fai Lee.
The experience has encouraged him to continue his charitable work to take up the Business Challenge with Peel & Stone head chef Sally White, shop manager Ming Nahm and pastry chef Emma Kirby.
鈥淟ap had already volunteered in Calais and I just felt 鈥業 need to do that 鈥 I can cook and should go over and help鈥,鈥 said Dom, co-owner of The Soul Food Project, which runs the two Peel & Stone outlets 鈥 in the Jewellery Quarter and Harborne 鈥 and The Church pub, Great Hampton St.
鈥淲e got loads and loads of really generous donations, filled up the bakery van with onions, herbs and spices and drove over. We were there in six hours.
鈥淲e cooked in a mesh tent inside a warehouse just a few miles from the camp. It鈥檚 completely powered by volunteers. Some people have been helping there for six months, which is incredible.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very political situation, but it wasn鈥檛 like that at all for me. I agree with how the RCK think 鈥 migrants are human beings who need to eat. Other than the clothes on their back, they have absolutely nothing.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e literally walked there from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Morocco 鈥 that鈥檚 a staggering thought.
鈥淚鈥檓 not intelligent enough to find a solution to the problem, but regardless of whether you think they should be there or be allowed into this country, they鈥檙e human beings, including children, who are hungry.鈥
Dom claims his experience in France was incredibly moving.
鈥淲e walked through the camp and felt no hostility whatsoever,鈥 he added.
鈥淚n one day, you saw the best and worst of the world. You witnessed the by-product of war, intolerances and suffering and then, in the warehouse, you鈥檙e surrounded by people who have given up their lives to help them.鈥
Dom, who has committed Peel & Stone to the Cook for Syria initiative in November, added: 鈥淚 can鈥檛 tell you how much fun stirring food for 3,000 people with a paddle was!
鈥淲e generally cooked vegetarian meals, like dhal, for 1,700 people, as meat is too expensive.
鈥淚 also made 1,000 portions of bread pudding and cracked 1,380 eggs in making a huge Frittata. I know this because the eggs came in trays of 36 and I counted the empties afterwards!鈥
Dom鈥檚 next task will be counting down the miles during the Business Challenge, which over 400 runners have signed up for, on Sunday (October 16).
The Peel & Stone quartet are among 20,000 runners expected to tackle the 海角视频鈥檚 second-largest half marathon, will compete in the 鈥楽mall Business, Mixed Team鈥 category.
But Dom reckons they鈥檝e more chance of bagging the wooden spoon than silverware!
鈥淪ally casually did 13 miles the other day and Ming鈥檚 a keen runner but with me being an irregular runner, and having practically forced Emma into doing it, we鈥檙e a bit of a mixed bag!鈥 he quipped.
Supported by The Birmingham Post, entries for the Business Challenge, pits companies against each other to see which teams can record the fastest times to win trophies.
Any business entering 12 or more runners automatically gets a trophy in the name of the company鈥檚 fastest finisher and all businesses feature in a special- edition magazine.
Peel & Stone is fundraising for a cause close to home, Autism West Midlands, as two team members鈥 relatives suffer from the condition.
To sponsor the Peel & Stone team, visit: justgiving.com/peelandstone
Who will Peel & Stone compete against?
Other companies taking part in the Business Challenge are
ATSG Compliance
Charter Court Financial Services
Davies Group
Delcam
Highways England
HSBC
JW Hinks LLP
KPMG
Lambert Smith Hampton
Lion Picture Framing Supplies
Mainstay Residential
Mazars LLP
Peers Hardy 海角视频
Sigma Components
Squire Patton Boggs
Tata Motors European Tech Centre
West Brom Building Society
See Great Birmingham Run highlights below
How to enter the Great Birmingham Run
Over 16,000 individual runners have already signed up for the Great Birmingham Run. To sign up, visit
Anyone who ran this year鈥檚 Great Birmingham 10k is eligible for an exclusive 拢10 discount to take part in the half-marathon, which costs 拢35, on Sunday, October 16.
Entrants for this year鈥檚 13.1-mile race through the city 鈥 taking in famous landmarks including the Bullring, Edgbaston Cricket Ground and Cadbury鈥檚 鈥 have been given priority entry to the inaugural Birmingham International Marathon on Sunday, October 15, 2017.
To enter the marathon, which costs 拢55, click
Great Birmingham Run
