Surfing Champion to Join Top Chefs at SurfAid Event

World Surfing Champion Mark “Occy” Occhilupo Swaps a Surfboard for a Chopping Board at “Surfing Chefs for SurfAid” Event in Bondi

Former world surfing champion Mark “Occy” Occhilupo is stoked to be joining some of Australia’s top chefs for the Surfing Chefs for SurfAid cocktail party at The Bucket List, Bondi on Wednesday 9 March 2016.

The event, which raises funds for award-winning humanitarian aid organisation, SurfAid, promises to be an amazing evening of gourmet food and fine wine prepared by Tom Walton, THE BUCKET LIST, BONDI, and Russell Blaikie, MUST WINEBAR, PERTH, and their team of award-winning celebrity chefs, who share a common passion for surfing. The Surfing Chefs, who all donate their time and talent, will serve up an exquisite multi-course degustation menu sourced from the finest produce, all donated by local suppliers. Food will be paired with superb wines from Stella Bella, Vranken Pommery, and Bunkers.

The lineup includes Mark Occhilupo (1999 WORLD SURFING CHAMPION), Rod Kerr (BONDI RESCUE), Tom Walton (THE BUCKET LIST), Russell Blaikie (MUST WINEBAR, PERTH), Ben O'Donoghue (BILLYKART KITCHEN, BRISBANE), Massimo Mele (CATERING BY MASSIMO MELE), Ian Oakes (DRAKE EATERY), Stephen Scott (CHARING CROSS HOTEL), Gianluca Donzelli (PIZZAPERTA, THE STAR), Logan Campbell (JONAH’S), Matthew Butcher (MORRIS JONES, MELBOURNE). The event will be hosted by popular TV personality Mark Beretta. For the second year in a row, former pro surfer and Bondi Rescue legend, Rod Kerr will be swapping his boardies for a chef jacket and joining the team as one of our guest surfing chefs. He had this to say about the event, “I’m proud to be involved with the Surfing Chefs for SurfAid event at The Bucket List again this year. Last year was amazing. I was so nervous, but we pulled it off. SurfAid is such an amazing cause and I’m going to do better this time around. I may even cook, so watch out!”

Occy, a long-time supporter of SurfAid, will join the team in the kitchen for the first time this year. He said, “I’m honoured to be involved in such a fantastic night with such fantastic chefs for such a fantastic cause. I’ve been told I’m following in the footsteps of Tom Carroll and Pottz, and that makes me feel not as nervous cause I know their footsteps are small. I hope you all like vegemite on toast….”

Celebrity chef Russell Blaikie created the concept of Surfing Chefs for SurfAid in 2011 and the series of events has now raised over $175,000 for SurfAid and helped fund their work in the Mentawai and Nias islands, off the coast of Sumatra, and Sumbawa and Sumba in Eastern Indonesia.

“I hope Kerrbox will be on duty this year on the beach at Bondi. Last year I borrowed a board from the generous crew at The Bucket List and made the error of dropping in on a Bondi lifesaver who was having a break…..Anyhow….I can’t wait to get back to Bondi to be part of the amazing Surfing Chefs for SurfAid phenomenon. The Bucket List is simply the best spot on the planet to host this event. I’ll be joining a bunch of sensational cooks that care…led by The Bucket List’s own #legendwhocooks Tom Walton, and this year we’ve got Aussie Surfing icon Occy joining us in the kitchen line-up...I can’t wait to get there!” says Russell Blaikie.

The Bucket List head chef, Tom Walton is proud to host another great night. "Since we sent out the final dish of last year’s SurfAid event here, I've been looking forward to this year’s to come around again. Working with the talents of Russell Blaikie and this amazing line up of chefs and suppliers who all bring their creativity, generosity and passion, it really makes the whole event such a sensational one. I can't wait to get on the tools (and beers) with these legends once again for Surfing Chefs for SurfAid 2016 at The Bucket List Bondi Beach."

SurfAid CEO Andrew Judge adds, “SurfAid is enormously grateful to the chefs, sponsors and guests that support SurfAid at this event. The funds raised are critical to improving lives in extremely remote villages in Indonesia. SurfAid is the charity where the passion for surfing intersects with the passion for giving back.”

Thank you to our major sponsors - Wilson Parking, The Bucket List, Adina Apartments Bondi Beach, and BWM Dentsu.

SURFING CHEFS FOR SURFAID COCKTAIL PARTY
6:30 pm, Wednesday 9 March 2016
The Bucket List, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Pavilion, Bondi

TICKETS
VIP $250 p/p (full table service)
Cocktail $150 p/p (stand up format)

BOOKINGS
www.trybooking.com/171995

Dress
Best beach cocktail

ENDS

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