The Parakeet and Bouchon Racine team up for charity four-hands dinner

The Parakeet and Bouchon Racine are set to host a collaborative four hands dinner on Wednesday, 26th June, in support of charity. The event, a first for both restaurants, aims to blend the modern European fire cooking of The Parakeet’s Ben Allen with the refined French techniques of Bouchon Racine’s Henry Harris. The dinner, priced at £85 per person, will direct 100% of its food profits to two causes: suicide prevention charity Papyrus and MAP, providing medical aid to Palestinians.

The one-night-only act promises a nine-dish sharing menu that showcases a sequence of both chefs’ signature dishes, with some new entries, from Allen’s flame-grilled Mackerel & Salt-baked Kohlrabi Salad, to Harris’s acclaimed Grilled Rabbit, Mustard Sauce, and Smoked Bacon, including The Parakeet’s in-house Potato Bread and Smoked Butter, and Henry’s famous Chicken Liver Pâté with Cornichons. As pre-dessert, Ben Allen has chosen one of his latest creations, a Strawberry Granita with Wood Sorrel, which will be followed by one of Henry Harris’ classic Crème Caramel and an Armagnac soaked Agen prune

A special selection of biodynamic and low intervention wines will complement the meal, featuring prominent producers – Seasmoke, J. Rochioli, and Casanova di Neri –  and a curated list of Leoville Barton vintages, available by the bottle and glass.

Allen expressed his excitment for the upcoming collaboration with Henry, as he commented: “His traditional French cooking methods are the basis for all chefs and cooking and without them we wouldn’t have the development and innovation in cooking in this country that we currently have – It’s an honour to be cooking for two great causes with him at the Parakeet.”

Also Henry Harris is looking forward to the evening, and said: “I love going to the Parakeet to eat on my days out of the kitchen and what [Ben Allen]’s done with the food and what the team have done to transform this pub over the last 16 months is really exciting.”

This charitable endeavour not only highlights the culinary prowess of Allen and Harris but also supports two significant causes close to the chefs’ hearts. Harris, in memory of a family friend’s tragic loss to suicide, has chosen to donate half of the profits to Papyrus. Meanwhile, Allen, citing the importance of aiding children in the Middle East during these turbulent times, supports MAP with the remainder of the proceeds.

The evening will present an interesting merging of both chefs’ worlds for a noble cause, offering guests the opportunity to indulge into special gourmet experience while contributing to meaningful charity work. 

Food Desk

Tickets for The Parakeet and Bouchon Racine four-hands dinner are available to purchase via the webpage here.