Chefs are a competitive and fierce bunch. You cannot work in a kitchen and not be hardened by the long hours, the heat, the graft. People say professional kitchens have calmed down in recent years. There might be some truth to it — but, also, the people who say these things tend never to have been in one. The point is, chefs stepping into a boxing ring makes complete sense.
Last night, March 1, at Old Billingsgate in the City of London, some of the country’s most successful in the business swapped their tongs for boxing gloves in the name of charity. Jason Atherton, whose latest restaurant Row on 5 won two Michelin stars in this year’s guide, was the headline act, arriving in a shimmering white and silver hooded vest and shorts. He fought Andy Beynon from the Michelin-starred seafood restaurant Behind, winning by a single point as crowds sprang from their tables and encircled the ring. It looked like an incredibly close call. Beynon’s trainers from east London’s beloved Repton Boxing Club called for a second count, to no avail.
