Bright and early on Tuesday morning The Goring played mother hen to 200 eggs, marking the countdown to the world’s biggest ever egg hunt.
Kicked off by the ever-eggcentric Jeremy Goring and celebrated food writer and broadcaster, Tom Parker Bowles, The Big Egg Hunt’ will see two hundred 2ft ceramic eggs scattered across London – following in the footsteps of the hugely successful Elephant Parade of 2010. From Shrove Tuesday, 21st February 2012 until Easter, London will be the venue for the world’s biggest egg hunt.
Generously sponsored by Fabergé, (who have just opened their flagship store in London this week) The Big Egg Hunt aims to raise up to £2 million for leading children’s charity, Action for Children and Elephant Family – the UK’s biggest funder for the endangered Asian elephant.
Tom Parker Bowles treated guests to a taste of his latest culinary creation, Eggs Fabergé – touted as the world’s most eggsclusive breakfast in anticipation of the egg hunt. Alongside talented Head Chef Derek Quelch, Tom took over The Goring’s kitchen to debut ‘Eggs Fabergé’ – the first breakfast dish ever to be commissioned by Fabergé, deliciously fashioned from quails’ eggs, Lobster and caviar. Over the coming months, many more of London’s top chefs will be creating their own versions of Eggs Fabergé, to be served on their menus, with a generous proportion of the profits being donated to the two charities.
The sight of 200 boulder sized bald eggs standing to attention in the dewy Goring garden, waiting to be adorned by leading artists, architects, jewellers and designers was sight to behold. Everyone from the Chapman brothers to Giles Deacon, Zandra Rhodes to Nicky Haslam and Marc Quinn – to Fabergé, of course – will join in the fun…and there’s even 10 naked eggs left waiting to be adorned with artistic embellishment. Artists eggstra-ordinaire can apply to Lucy Franks, Artist Liaison at The Big Egg Hunt on lucy@francks@thebigegghunt.co.uk.
The idea: for the 40 days and nights of Lent members of the public will seek out the strategically placed eggs, scattered throughout the capital – with the hunt culminating on the 40th night with three auctions selling the eggs which are destined to become highly collectible works of art. As well as potentially raising £1 million for Action for Children, which supports 150,000 families a year, and £1million for Elephant Family, the hunt also stands to set a Guinness World Record for the biggest ever Easter egg hunt- an eggstraordinary feat!
Laid at The Goring, it was only natural that ‘The Big Egg Hunt’ would get off to such a cracking start….if only every Tuesday morning could begin so eggstravagantly…
P.S Eggcitingly The Goring will house clue number one – you heard it here first.
