City restaurant plans fundraiser in memory of beloved chef
DINNERS to raise cash in memory of a chef who lost his battle with cancer are being hosted by the Inverness restaurant where he worked.
Chef Leigh Mitchell sadly died from the disease in August and in a poignant commemoration of his life the Riverside Restaurant will host a dinner to raise funds for Raigmore’s oncology ward 5A.
Mr Mitchell was passionate about making other people’s lives better during his fight with cancer and had already raised £3000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and the hospital with a coffee morning at the restaurant.
His sister Jo Mitchell said: "The evening dinner is something Leigh had talked about whilst he was in hospital in December but sadly never had the opportunity to do.
"Alongside friends, family and staff here at the restaurant we will be fulfilling this dream for Leigh."
Miss Mitchell hopes enough will be raised to get new items for the ward’s day room and for patient care, and she added: "My hopes for this year’s evening dinner would be to try and match last year’s figure for the coffee morning. If we are able to smash that figure though, that would be absolutely amazing."
There will be a mixed three-course menu for the dinners, filled with some of Mr Mitchell’s favourite dishes. Guests can expect fish and chips and fish cakes as well as a Polish beetroot soup that Mr Mitchell and his wife Anna had enjoyed making together.
The meals will be held on September 28 and 29. Cost is £27.50 and Miss Mitchell said everything about the dinner will be a tribute to her brother.
The evening meal has already sparked a lot of interest from the community and bookings ahead of the nights are advised.
The restaurant will also host another fundraising coffee morning on September 28, also in aid of the oncology ward.
The fundraising dinners start at 5.30pm until late.
The coffee morning will start at 10am and run to 3pm. Visitors can look forward to cooked breakfasts and bacon rolls.
All are welcome to attend both events.
