Run Geordie Run on the menu!

I'm always on the lookout for good quality fundraising ideas that sit well with the Run Geordie Run brand and today was one of my better ones (well, PR Girl Kathryn Shenton's mainly).

I had a very productive meeting with those kind folk, Jim and Gavin (pictured below), at Firenze Italian Restaurant in Jesmond this afternoon. Also present was The Children's Foundation's fundraising manager, Libby Nolan (pictured below) and my PR and design partners in crime, Kathryn and Dave Shenton.

I wish all meetings could be as fun as this one was as the main item on the agenda was the design and creation of a special "Run Geordie Run" main course. The pasta dish will go permanently on Firenze's main menu with part of the sale price donated to The Children's Foundation! Brilliant!

Half way through the meeting our discussion took a turn for the better when Jim and Gavin suggested that I should also think of a starter and a pudding to accompany the main course. This took me by complete surprise and while I'd given the main course lots of thought over the last week I didn't really know what to suggest for the other courses. 

The main course, which will be revealed all in good time, is a very healthy representation of the Italian flavours and ingredients that I enjoy. It's not one I've ever seen on a menu before and I think it will prove very popular. The starter will also be healthy and I have a few ideas on that which I'll be telling the lads at Firenze about when we next meet. The pudding, however, will be not so healthy! I make no apologies for that! 

While I have many good ideas about the 3 courses, it's great to have the expert help and guidance of Gavin and Jim from Firenze. They recognise that it is important that I have input into the design of the dishes and that they are something that I will not only enjoy eating but will also help with the nutritional side of my preparation for the run across Australia. Well the first 2 courses will at least. The pudding course is there purely for indulgence purposes!

I've heard lots of good things about Firenze from many different sources, so the signs are that we are all in for a treat once the creation and fine tuning of these dishes is complete. The menu should be "live" in March. Watch this space for further updates. In the meantime, on behalf of The Children's Foundation, it is a real pleasure to have Firenze Restaurant on board. Here's to the successful sale of Run Geordie Run dishes at my favourite Italian Restaurant in Jesmond.

Please click here to visit the Firenze website.