Hayden Groves, Executive Chef at BaxterStorey, is preparing to set off on a 10,403km cycle ride across Europe, starting in May.
Hayden’s extreme cycling challenge comes two years after completing the world famous Tour de France where his team of 11 cyclists raised an incredible £1.4 million for charity Cure Leukaemia. This year will see Hayden once again join ex England footballer Geoff Thomas as part of a team of five, take on all three grand tours – the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana, a challenge that only 37 professionals have completed. Money raised will go towards a new haematology centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Birmingham.
As he travels through some of Europe’s biggest foodie destinations, former National Chef of the year will also be crafting a unique recipe book to commemorate the challenge.
Supported by BaxterStorey and created by renowned Publisher Face, with food images by Adrian Franklin, the book will include recipes inspired by the locations along the route of each tour such as sun-soaked Sardinia, famous for its fresh seafood and the mountainous border town of Andorra la Vella with its Catalan flavours.
Delicious recipes for the confident home cook will be combined with stunning images and anecdotes from the three tours. Due out in December 2017, 100% of the sales from the book will be donated to Queen Mary’s Hospital, Birmingham.
Hayden said: “We will be riding through some of Europe’s finest destinations renowned for culinary excellence and I am looking forward to creating a gastronomic diary inspired by the spectacular locations the tours take in. As well as a commemoration of the trip, the book’s proceeds will help towards an ambitious fundraising target.
“To reach our target of raising £1 million, we would love to hear from individuals and businesses who would like to show their support for the momentous challenge or pre-order discounted copies of the book.”