A team of chefs will compete this Thursday by showcasing their finest soups at the inaugural SOUPer Bowl luncheon in London. Bringing together three local organizations – Growing Chefs! Ontario, Urban Roots London, and Clayworx: Ceramic Arts Learning Centre – the event is a fundraiser celebrating fresh farm produce, locally crafted soups, and handmade pottery while raising funds to combat food insecurity.
Andrew Fleet, the founder and executive director of Growing Chefs! Ontario, emphasized the growing need in the community, with reduced funding from various sources. Urban Roots supplies the produce for the soups, while Clayworx volunteers have crafted nearly 400 unique ceramic soup bowls for the event.
Attendees at the Grove location of Growing Chefs! can select a bowl made by local artists and enjoy up to 10 different soups during the 90-minute event. Inspired by the international charity project Empty Bowls, which previously ran in London, the SOUPer Bowl aims to be a more grassroots initiative.
Funds raised will be shared among the three organizations, benefitting the London community through programs like Growing Chefs’ food education initiatives and Urban Roots’ produce distribution efforts. The event organizers envision making the SOUPer Bowl an annual Thanksgiving tradition, with two servings scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., allowing Londoners to purchase tickets on the Growing Chefs! Ontario website.
The collaboration among the organizations not only promotes unity but also introduces an element of competition, as guests will vote on their favorite soup prepared by the participating chefs. Executive chef Katherine Jones, among others, spent the day perfecting her borscht while emphasizing the seasonality of the ingredients.
Meanwhile, volunteers at Clayworx meticulously prepared the handmade ceramic bowls for the event, each uniquely crafted by local artists. The organizations involved aim to maximize their impact on the community through this joint effort, focusing on both charity and friendly competition.