The Extraordinary Banquet: Peer Awards Finalist

Beth Crackles

12 June 2013

I'm thrilled to announce that Friends of the Earth's inaugural Extraordinary Banquet in March 2013 has been shortlisted for a Peer Award for Excellence.

We were determined to create something different from the traditional fundraising gala. So we used Friends of the Earth's 2012 brand refresh See Things Differently as our inspiration. We were also influenced by the popularity of immersive theatre and experimental dining to create an ambience of play and theatrics.

The experimental menu was a series of edible habitats, inspired by the life and principles of Linda McCartney. The menu included edible sand, pistachio trees, passion fruit caviar, jewelled quail eggs, glow-in-the-dark cucumber, agave nectar, and strawberry and cream mushrooms with tropical tea vapour. The tasting session pre-event was a perk of the job.

The sensory experience started as guests walked through the door, with molecular cocktails, soundscapes and a bespoke choral, opera and dance performance creating a truly enchanting evening.

Our aim was to attract a new audience to Friends of the Earth - including wealthy and celebrity supporters. And we did it. Of the 200 people who attended, 190 were new to Friends of the Earth.

We also had celebrity support from Sir Paul McCartney and Dame Vivienne Westwood, plus performance from Natalie Duncan.

Guests left the event with a better sense of what we do, and more open to supporting us in the future - with some telling me it was the best charity event they'd been to.

Whatever the outcome of the Peer Awards, we've done ourselves proud. Later this month we'll be presenting the Banquet at The Peer Awards Conference in a bid to win the coveted Customer Engagement Award.

If you'd like to support Friends of the Earth, please visit our donation page. 

Beth Crackles, Business Development Team