Alongside a Seven Caviars Dinner, the evening included an auction in aid of the Foundation. Tensor is pleased to have donated £500 to the charity, as well as an auction prize which raised over £1,400: a Grand Cru dinner and stay-over at Hail Weston House followed by a private day at the Grade I listed Arbury Hall in Nuneaton, owned by Lord Daventry.
The event was held in the Gunmakers' Proof House in Whitechapel, which tests both military and civilian firearms and shotguns for safety and conformity since 1637 — and the evening began with a literal bang with the firing of a canon.
At the event was Nigel Smith, Chairman of Tensor, who won in the auction a caviar tasting at King's Fine Food. Nigel says:
"It was a pleasure to attend the Seven Caviars Dinner, particularly in support of such a good cause. It was a great evening with some superb food and some excellent auction prizes; I'm glad I was able to contribute — and I look forward to the caviar tasting! Thank you to Laura King for arranging the evening, and to the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers for hosting it."
The John King Brain Tumour Foundation was set up by Laura King MBE, after her husband, the highly respected chef John King, passed away from a brain tumour. Laura says:
"My caviar business, King's Fine Food, donates 10% of our profits to the charity, and half of the money that was raised from the auction prizes goes to the John King Brain Tumour Foundation.
"We work mostly with the internationally renowned Atkinson Morley Wing at St George's Hospital in Tooting, which is where John received treatment. We've raised £1.4 million for neurosurgical equipment and to maintain the McKissock Ward and Neuro ICU Roof Gardens — we were honoured that the new roof garden was opened in June by Her Majesty Queen Camilla, who has just agreed to become our new patron.
"We've also just purchased a piece of equipment for St George's Hospital that only four other hospitals have in the UK. It cuts down testing on brain tumours from eight weeks to one hour, so you can operate on someone, diagnose what the tumour is, then decide how far you go much more efficiently.
"Tensor's donation of £500 was so kind and so appreciated, and Nigel was a real superstar with his bid.
"A massive thank you to all who came; what a wonderful and memorable night with such a lovely group of people."