Over €10k raised in first day of wedding offer

“It caught the imagination quickly, I’m delighted,” reports award-winning restaurateur Richard Corrigan of the competition launched last week to present a lucky Irish healthcare worker with an all-inclusive wedding package worth an estimated €90,000.

In just 24 hours of opening, the once-in-a-lifetime competition already raised more than €10,000 for Society of St Vincent de Paul’s emergency fundraising appeal.

Each entry or nomination, accompanied by a €10 donation or more to the SdVP appeal, stands a chance of celebrating their wedding with 160 guests in the celebrity chef’s sprawling 18th-century Virginia Park Lodge estate.

In total five entries are to be shortlisted at random with the national president of SVP to select the winner.

Applications opened last week, and will remain open for eight weeks. The winning wedding can be booked for any available date up to April 2022.

Internationally renowned wedding specialist Collette O’Leary of Elegant Events has even offered her services; while Richard himself will work closely with the winning couple to design a bespoke menu for their big day.

The ultimate package is complete with wine by Le Caveau; make-up by award-winning Michele Field and Paula Callan; hair by celebrity stylist Norma Jean; cake by Cove Cake Design; flowers by Joeanna Caffrey; invites and stationary by Appleberry Press; and photography by Dasha Caffrey.

“The more entries per person, the better chance of being selected,” plugs Richard, who describes the country’s healthcare workers as “shining lights” in the COVID-19 crisis. “Let’s get those numbers up to €100,000 and then I’ll be really happy.”

The Ballivor native, who married his wife Maria at the Park Lodge, and later returned to purchase the 100-acre Headfort summer retreat in 2014, promises it will be a “dream come true” for the couple that wins.

“I give my personal guarantee to that,” he rubber stamps. “No question about it.”

Chef-patron of Corrigan’s Mayfair; Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill, near Piccadilly; Bentley’s Sea Grill in Harrods, and most recently Daffodil Mulligans (named after the daughter of Biddy Mulligan, Pride of the Coombe), Richard speaks toThe Anglo-Celtfrom his London home.

He’s much less upbeat about the economic situation facing the hospitality industry. It’s a “difficult” situation he admits.

Richard, who came out all guns blazing in criticising the UK government’s handling of Brexit, isn’t as punch heavy considering their reaction to the Covid crisis, acknowledging what positives have been implemented - such as business supports.

“In some aspects, Britain has been brilliant. The support system they put in for businesses and employees - they acted incredibly quickly and generously. Let’s not box ears just for the sake of it.

On other aspects, however, such as muddling the idea of proposed lockdown, he fumes: “Go to work. Don’t go. Go to restaurants. Don’t go - all that mixed messaging, popping out of the mouth policy, it was all just very awkward.”

Richard employs hundreds across his business empire, and was anxious from the outset for their welfares. Thousands more are employed in businesses that thrive off the back of the Irishman’s various enterprises, and Richard bears a sense of responsibility for them too.

In a candid interview Richard tells how he and his team are busily engaging with landlords in London in the hope of finding respite against the mounting costs.

He’s particularly hurt by the impact the shutdown has had on the immediate success of his recently opened Daffodil Mulligans. From the day of opening, the restaurant and late bar in the heart of Shoreditch got off to a flier - an instant hit with the hipster east London crowd.

“We opened it to rave success,” recalls Richard.

But then COVID-19 hit. One of the final guests served was renowned restaurant critic andTimescolumnist Giles Coren. “He said it was one of the best lunches he’d every had,” proclaims Richard. “I was so happy that this was an Irish-owned place in London, doing things an Irish way, and making a major success of it.”

All that now feels like a lifetime ago.

“Closure without people having answers is where we are. The bills building up, rents, rates, taxes, it’s a horrifying time. It’s the toughest six weeks I’ve ever experienced.”

But with typical fortitude, Richard acknowledges “there’s only so much sitting on your hands and your arse” one can do.

He envisions that the model for success in hospitality will have forever changed as a result of COVID-19.

“It’s legal, it’s accountancy, it’s everything,” Richard rhymes off. “If this was all a puff in the pan you’d consider being very lucky. But we have to consider what we can save. It’s a long time to be closed six or seven months. We’re looking to reopening everything. I don’t know if I’m mad, but there you go! It will be nimble to say the least, and we wait to see what the future holds.”

Such confidence is important for the future viability of Richard’s Virginia operations.

His multi-million commitment to see his Virginia Park Lodge dream become a reality remains. Richard shelled out a reported €1.1 million for the landmark Cavan property, and pumped many million more doing up its 23 bedrooms and turning it into a lavish five-star wedding location.

As revealed by theCeltas far back as early September last year, the Michelin starred chef committed to buy the former Chestnut Tree bar in Virginia Town, with grand plans to develop it as an exclusive gastropub type business in future.

“COVID knocked it for six, I’ll be honest with you, but we’re back on track now,” he claims. “We’re going to turn that into something wonderful. It will take a while before it’s all operational frankly. We need to rebuild our London restaurants, number one, because they’ve been generous in their giving to my project in Virginia. They make it all happen, and as soon as the first rays of sun shine come, we’ll put the same level of enthusiasm into the townhouse project.”

Right now the Park Lodge, with its 10 acres devoted to orchards and a Victorian walled kitchen garden are seeing the produce funnelled into a range of tasty jams and chutneys for the Cavan Food Bank service instead of simply going to waste. It’s just another way Richard has sought to find ways of helping the community during the ongoing health crisis.

When his London restaurant’s closed, Richard commandeered his Bentley’s kitchen as a feeding station for the homeless in the area, serving up to 400 people a week. They also help the organisation Under One Sky at breakfast time three-times a week, with more than 500 meals going out to the needy.

His restaurants are meanwhile baking bread for the South London Irish Centre, which helps out older people who are living in isolation, that is picked up fresh each week by fellow award-winning chef Angela Hartnett.

“The other side of hospitality is generosity, charity. We’re a happy bunch really,” praises Richard, who is a patron of the Irish Youth Foundation in London, and also lends his status to supporting Solace Women’s Aid. He is also an ambassador for New Horizons, an organisation helping newly released prisoners and the homeless.

“I think it’s important you just don’t sit there and lock yourself away. Business people, we’re not just there for the good times. We’re there for the bad too. Our whole organisation is involved in good deeds and good work. If nothing else it keeps us sane, that’s for sure.”

For more details on the #CorrigansVowToTheFrontline, visit the Virginia Park Lodge website and apply/nominate (please read terms and conditions), along with a donation of €10 or more to St Vincent de Paul’s urgent appeal.