Last week contract caterer Elior UK leant its support to Across the Line, a sports themed event held at the home of cricket, Lord's in North-west London, to raise funds for development agency Plan.
Guest stars included rower Ed Coode, Badmington's Gail Emms, former England cricket star Alec Stewart and champion jockey Richard Dunwoody.
After dinner and a desperate attempt by the now slightly addled guests to complete a sports quiz, a charity auction commenced and the real fun began.
Led by Channel 5 baseball star Jonny Gould the auction was a riot as Mr Gould warmed to his task - no doubt relishing the biggest audience he's had in years - and became progressively more risqué.
Doing their bit in the auction also, Elior had lined up a gastronomic delight that would see its executive head chef at Deutsche Bank in the City, Mark Crowe, cook at a private dinner party.
The bidding hotted up as did Gould's commentary. This lead to some outlandish promises being made with Elior's maketing director, Ian Styles - who had co-ordinated the charity event - finding himself unwittingingly volunteered as part of the package by Gould to do the washing up.
With the bidding for the prize locked, the baseball presenter obviously felt he needed something extra special to seal the deal and added that no only would the winner have Styles on hand to scrub their dishes he'd be in a pinny - just a pinny - and they could thrash him as well!
In the end, and thanks again to Elior, the lot was auctioned twice with Crowe agreeing to cook at two separate dinner parties and in the process raising more than 2,000 for the charity.
Good news for Plan but bad news for Elior's marketing director you have to feel (he certainly will one suspects).
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