THE HOPES, DREAMS & FEARS OF...
Artists + Chefs + Bartenders + Brewers + Fashion Gurus
Collaborating to raise mental health awareness with colour and flavour sharing:
STORIES, ART, FOOD, FASHION & DRINKS.
WRESTLING DEMONS.
Originally conceptualised as a drinks menu to raise mental health awareness, the project evolved due to the pandemic
in 2020.
For Mental Health Awareness Week, 21 top humans in art, food and drink, that had never met, were 'speed dated' into groups of 3 and asked "what are your hopes, dreams and fears?" to get the conversation started and help share a relatable topic they cared about, to express as art, food and drink.
5 years on, it continues to evolve, with the very simple premise: expressing a topic
we care about in a creative way that will raise awareness and help connect
good humans together who are
Wrestling Demons.
WRESTLING DEMONS
121 hospitality therapy.
So far I've raised approx £8,000 towards 121 therapy sessions for Hospitality staff that were 'Wrestling Demons'.
Often when talking to staff in venue, they'd ask how they could receive help. I'd direct them to free or paid services, but I couldn't physically hand them out a session... until now.
From London Cocktail Week'23, I created a 2-sided sticker with details on how to redeem a free Hospitality therapy session I would give to staff in need. Think Willy Wonka golden ticket x Fight Club.
With the sticker, staff could get help and show their support of mental health awareness in a cool way, along with donate via a QR code and Tipjar donations page.
Feeding communities.
In December 2022, we helped set up a community hub in Battersea for Christmas to feed low income families, the vulnerable and homeless. What was supposed to be a month pop-up, was so successful that it has become a permanent feature.
By connecting with our Hospitality network, we received silver cutlery, plates and bowls that everyone could dine in decency. We gave out experiences to kids and parents from top restaurants. Had industry staff volunteer to help cook, clear, entertain and support local volunteers.
AND in 2024, will be setting up a brand new community kitchen from scratch for charities to use; supported by grants, donations and the kindness of Hospitality across industries we've reached out to.
THE CATERPILLAR PROJECT.
Since 2022, we've been curating our London Battersea 1/2 acre garden farm atop a converted car park, secluded amongst council blocks,
that suffers from the class divide
and investment the rest of Battersea development receives.
The last few years The Doddington & Rollo Community Rooftop Garden continues to grow an emotional connection to the environment for better mental health and inspiration to turn grey city spaces to green, as an inclusive community space for all ages taking small bites at a time to make a difference.
In 2023, we managed over 1,000 corporate volunteers from the likes of Danone, Coca-Cola, Just Eat, TSB Bank, etc. We also had political visitors like the US Ambassador and won Gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show for our community garden that was only 1 of 3 visited by the King and Queen.
NOT MADE OF METAL.
How do you repurpose a concept and finalised art about dealing with addiction that was sadly 'cancelled' as a no alcohol beer? You destroy it as part of a teetotal axe throwing pop-up for Mental Health Awareness Week!
At 'Skeeters' axe throwing venue, we welcomed humans from all walks of life to be constructive with their feelings by splitting them in two with an axe to the art.
Community pocket
forests with SUGI.
Buddying up with SUGI who create pocket forests around the world, we took our mutual passion turning grey city spaces to green, a giant mound doing nothing next to a kids playground in Battersea council estate, and brought it to life.
With support from the local community, kids and investment from Louis Vuitton, we planted saplings that will turn into a mini forest... and soon it'll have a sister nearby too this 2024!
MISS RIPPLE.
We RE-designed 'Trust Water' still and sparkling water, glass bottles, by putting fun into a functional product!
Collaborating with artist 'Roots', we leveraged the brands motto of 'create positive ripples' to illustrate a character called 'Miss Ripple', who's doing good without ego, but sometimes suffers from imposter syndrome... something we heard from many good humans across industries.
With a call to action to reuse, recycle, refun, 100% net profit from the canned water went to The Drinks Trust charity to support Hospitality staff with free well-being services.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE DIFFERENT?
Double A(pple) side still and sparkling ciders that open up the conversation and ask “What does it mean to be different?”
We asked bartenders, chefs, stylists, songwriters, gardeners, teachers, tattooists, astrologists... EVERYONE had a different answer. So we took cider that often faces preconceptions and created variants that could stand for authenticity & diversity without discrimination, proudly sitting at the table.
A collaboration with Little Pomona, Cider is Wine, artist David Oku, bartender Imie Augier and chef Sam Brotchie, with proceeds towards one-to-one Hospitality therapy.
Daisy Desire x Beyond Retro at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Gardener and drag queen, Daisy Desire, became one of our ambassadors at 'The Caterpillar Project' community rooftop garden, to raise awareness at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, as one of their ongoing inclusive ambassadors
and VIP guests.
She created a glam gardening chic outfit inspired by the project, made of upcycled clothing in collaboration with global sustainable fashion and vintage store leaders, Beyond Retro.
RISE UP!!
Bringing Beyond Retro/Bank & Vogue together with members of Hospitality to create a LTD edition upcycled t-shirt, with every one a different cut, colour and size to be as unique as the person wearing them, to raise mental health & environmental awareness.
Introducing brands to creative, affordable circular solutions... a completely brand new t-shirt has the same carbon footprint as driving a car 35 miles.
Beyond Retro panel event.
RISE UP!! became an ongoing panel event I host with cross-industry experts, as a call to action.
Where buying 'stuff' doesn't have to be the end of the world, if it has a purpose that can help People & Planet.
PLEASE & THANK YOU.
A beer collaboration with London Fields Brewery and Brewgooder to highlight magical words that impact Hospitality staff and anyone else for that matter.
Proceeds go towards one-to-one Hospitality therapy, with it going down well in Michelin Star restaurants, award winning hotels and industry leaders nationwide like Dishoom, that it sold over 2,200 litres in just over 2 months.
PLEASE & THANK YOU pizza party.
To bring both food & drink sides of the industry together with a drinks menu offering 'true Hospitality' from competing drinks distributors and a vegan half & half pizza collaboration from Le Bab and Nebula.
A way to say 'thank you' to friends of Hospitality at Christmas and 'please' find support from each other and industry charities for free.
OXO Tower 25th Anniversary.
Previously they've looked back at their history with each anniversary. So we looked forwards and towards 21st Century Hospitality.
Bringing 'a smile on your table' petit fours as a sweet homage to staff who keep smiling regardless, PLEASE & THANK YOU beer, upcycled staff uniforms, social heroing staff and...
What PLEASE & THANK YOU means to staff.
Standing 8 meters long and 4 meters high in the OXO Tower, the mural brings to life what a simple courtesy means:
It makes us feel seen...
A bond that touches us...
Costs nothing and means everything.
Exhibiting in derelict
town halls...
Curating the Wrestling Demons art and other various artists, I took over the medical wing of Fulham Town Hall as part of the larger 'Art in the Age of Now' exhibition.
As a derelict venue, it allowed me to turn a blank canvas into an interactive Mental Health & Hospitality art exhibition, where guests could take awareness home with affordable art too.
To trade shows.
At 'Imbibe Live' and 'Cocktails in the City' I've shared with consumers and trade alike how mental health awareness can be enjoyed with colour & flavour, rather than shades of black & white.
The interaction and bond from many it's connected with has been very personal and rewarding.
The most endangered cocktail menu in the world.
16 of the best bartending humans in the world each created a one-off bottled cocktail inspired by 14 endangered animals for ‘adoption’ with WWF.
The bottles then went up for auction to highlight that once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Wildlife photographers also donated their photos and knowledge to help raise awareness with the drinks on social media, that further highlighted the diversity & creativity of the Hospitality industry itself.
Our shared planet.
A cocktail menu inspired by habitat loss to coincide with Earth Day 22nd April.
The menu featured on instagram to ensure no loss of trees. Drinks were inspired by a variety of habitats, with photography provided by WWF and wildlife photographers around the world to raise awareness.
Tending the tenders.
For London Cocktail Month we created the FIRST EVER Hospitality Welfare Hub, offering industry accredited mental health awareness training, one-to-one therapy sessions, self help & profile seminars, along with free nutritious 3 course meals made from surplus ingredients
by Refettorio Felix.
Serving true hospitality.
We brought together bartenders keen to help feed the vulnerable and homeless from surplus foods at London charity Refettorio Felix.
A great opportunity to do some good, network, team build whilst learning about different ingredients to make 3-course meals AND enjoy the food at the end together!
Please note:
All concepts, ideas, assets, names, etc. are copyright protected under UK law and the intellectual and creative property of Place of the Way LTD.