In just 10 weeks, Aine Morris, CEO of Abergavenny Food Festival will be swapping the festival office for the Langtang region of the Himalayas as she takes up a fundraising challenge in Nepal for Action Against Hunger.

Joining a group of seven chefs and restauranteurs from Bristol and Bournemouth, Aine will be flying to Kathmandu to meet up with a team of an additional 12 trekkers from the hospitality industry in the North West. They will be close to the Tibetan border completing an average of six-seven hours trekking per day, reaching altitudes of 4,400m and camping in remote locations for six nights.

Each of the participants in the challenge trip, which will see them journey through Nepal for 10 days from April 24 – May 4, has begun a 16-week schedule of training in the lead up to their departure as well as forging ahead with a fundraising effort which will see Aine and the South West of England group reach a goal of £40,000 for the charity and help raise awareness of Action Against Hunger’s lifesaving work around the world.

The group will be visiting Action Against Hunger programmes in Nepal that are assisting communities who lost their homes and livelihoods when two devastating earthquakes took place in the country in 2015. Action Against Hunger has been working in Nepal since 2005 focusing on treating life-threatening malnutrition. As a charity they work with chefs, companies, hundreds of restaurants and the public to take action against child hunger and build healthier futures for malnourished children around the world.

Taking part in the Nepal trek from the South West alongside Aine Morris are James Fowler from The Larder House (Bournemouth) and the Bristol-based Peter Sanchez-Iglesias (Casamia), Josh Eggleton (The Pony & Trap), Dominic Borel (Pasta Loco), Jamie Randall (Adelina Yard), Kieran Waite (Bravas), and Freddy Bird (Lido).

Speaking about why she is taking up the challenge Aine Morris says, “I’ve worked in food for the past 12 years, and so often my work is about creating dining experiences for those who can afford to pay for them. I’ve been interested in the impact that our global food system has ever since I was a student, and jumped at the chance to go to Nepal and learn more about the everyday reality for people living in developing world countries.

“The food choices we make in the West, directly impact the lives of those living elsewhere, so the opportunity to learn more, raise awareness and raise some money to support really appealed to me. I spend far too many hours behind my desk each week, and it’s a personal goal to get back in shape and be outdoors more. Supporting the work of Action Against Hunger gives me the chance to challenge myself personally, whip myself into shape, and raise awareness for a cause really close to my heart.”