Charity Bake Sale for Turkey and Syria Earthquake Aid

The London hospitality industry has a pretty good track record when it comes to raising awareness and funds for important causes. Whether it's for Covid relief during the pandemic, charities and initiatives that support diversity and equality, or the incredible work done by initiatives like #CookforSYRIA (and its offshoots for Ukraine and Iran), there have been a multitude of events and pop-ups in recent years that have helped diners' money go towards those who need it.

The speed at which these initiatives can come together – and how much support they can rely on in a short space of time – is especially evident with a charity bake sale to raise funds for those affected by the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. From 12pm-4pm on 26 February, hospitality figureheads including Melissa Thompson, Ravneet Gill, Ixta Belfrage and Melek Erdal will be hosting a bake sale and raffle at Holloway Model Bakery in North London – the location having been kindly donated by the bakery's owner Michelle Eshkeri. Confirmed bakers include Honey & Co, Crumbs & Doilies, Toad Bakery, Benjamina Ebuehi, Ravinder Bhogal and Ottolenghi Test Kitchen members Noor Murad, Helen Goh, Chaya Maya and Verena Lochmuller. Bread and drinks including tea and coffee will be available to purchase on the day separately.

The group has also put together a raffle, priced at £5 per person, which features meal vouchers from leading restaurants, kitchen equipment, a barbecue, vouchers for celebration cakes and lots more.

All proceeds from the raffle and bake sale will be equally split between Choose Love, Ahbap and Medico International who are all working on the ground in Turkey and Syria to help survivors and those displaced by the disaster.

About the Turkey and Syria Earthquake

More than 40,000 people are known to have died so far after the earthquake on Monday 6th February, with that figure expected to rise. The disaster, which has affected Kurdish communities particularly hard, has impacted more than 17 million people. Thousands of buildings including homes, tower blocks, schools and hospitals were destroyed.

Istanbul-born Kurdish chef and writer Melek Erdal, the lead organiser, said: “The scale of devastation is unimaginable and continues to unfold. The death toll continues to rise, many more have been injured and millions have been left without homes (replaced word shelter because used twice) in freezing winter conditions, in desperate need for shelter, supplies and food and drink. The impact of the disaster will reverberate in the region for generations. With this comes the urgent need to rally together and show solidarity.

“The affected regions have a large representation in London, and we are already overwhelmed by the support of those who have offered to help. A fast, large-scale response is necessary and so many people have offered to do what they can.”