Michelin Mince Pie Project raises £10,000

Ashley Palmer-Watts' deep fried mince pies have helped raise nearly £10,000 for the Mince Pie Project, in support of Action Against Hunger and the Jamie Oliver Foundation.

The executive chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was among a stellar cast of 36 chefs who all contributed their own unique batch of 50 pies for the charity auction, which took place last week. His pies sold for £1,000.

As the online auction progressed, competition among the chefs also grew. Michel Roux Jr, whose own pies sold for £470, commented: "It started as a bit of fun, but things quickly got competitive. Everyone wanted their mince pies to go for the most money, and did everything in their power to get noticed."

Tristan Welch of Launceston Place offered a meal for two at his restaurant after realising his mince pies were raising the least money, while a team member at St John Restaurant had offered to eat his own shoe if Fergus Henderson's mince pies went for more than Angela Hartnett's.

The project was started six weeks ago by fundraiser Pete Butler, who described the auction as a unique opportunity to get your mince pies cooked by a Michelin-starred chef, and donate money to two great causes.

He said: "When I started the project, I had no idea quite how competitive the chefs would get. Although it's only a fun charity event, it seems that all the chefs wanted to be number one."

The amount raised for each chef's 50 mince pies is as follows:

Ashley Palmer-Watts, Dinner by Heston: £1,000

Henry Harris, Racine: £600

Michel Roux Jr, Le Gavroche: £470

Claude Bosi, Hibiscus: £460

Angela Hartnett, Murano: £400

Marcus Wareing, the Gilbert Scott: £360

Raymond Blanc, Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons: £360

Martin Nisbet, Angelus: £324

Alexis Gauthier, Gauthier Soho: £257

Nigel Haworth, Northcote: £255.20

Edd Kimber, the Boy Who Bakes: £255

Olivier Limousin, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon: £255

Eric Lanlard, Cake Boy: £250

Phil Howard, the Square Restaurant: £245

Angelo Ercolano, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester: £235

Fergus Henderson, St John: £230

Marcus Eaves, Pied a Terre: £226

Skye Gyngell, Petersham Nurseries Café: £215

Anna Hansen, the Modern Pantry: £212.69

James Martin, the Leeds Kitchen: £205.50

Bruce Poole, Chez Bruce: £205.01

Alan Stewart, Manson: £201.01

Bryn Williams, Odette's: £201.01

Gregg Wallace, Wallace & Co: £200

Richard Bertinet, the Bertinet Kitchen: £185

Adam Byatt, Trinity Restaurant: £180

William Drabble , Seven Park Place: £171.40

Tristan Welch, Launceston Place: £169

Antonin Bonnet, the Greenhouse: £165

Bruno Loubet, Bistrot Bruno Loubet: £165

Glynn Purnell, Purnell's: £163

Stevie Parle, the Dock Kitchen: £160.55

Ben Spalding, Roganic: £157

Jeremy Lee, Blueprint Café: £156

Luigi Vespero, Galvin Bistrot de Luxe: £155

Tony Phillips, Fifteen Apprentice: £130

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By Janie Stamford

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