Unox’s mountain challenge raises more than £23,000 for Burnt Chef Project

Unox UK’s Moving Mountains for Mental Health challenge has smashed its fundraising target for hospitality industry mental health charity the Burnt Chef Project.

The cooking equipment manufacturer’s initiative has raised £23,734.78, more than doubling the initial aim of £10,000.

The fundraising effort saw a team of 25 comprising the Unox UK team, partners and supports hauling an oven weighing more than 140kg up the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, in the summer.

On 29 June, the team ascended the mountain for more than 14 hours, facing rocky climbs, ravines, river crossings, strong wind, rain and a lack of visibility at the top, all while managing and mitigating injuries.

The 10-grid Cheftop-X combi-oven was carried to the peak of the Scottish Highlands, reaching a height of 1,100m above sea level.

Scott Duncan, managing director of Unox UK, said: “It’s truly incredible to see the impact that Moving Mountains for Mental Health has had – both in terms of the amount raised and the message that has been spread far and wide. To have raised more than £23,500 to support the ongoing work of the Burnt Chef Project makes every footstep taken on Ben Nevis back in June, is extraordinary.

“While the team returned exhausted, broken and for some carrying minor injuries, this is nothing in comparison to the daily struggles of those living with mental health challenges in our industry. We hope that by completing the challenge, exceeding our fundraising target and spreading the word about the great work done by the Burnt Chef Project, we can do our bit to help those suffering and reduce the stigma that continues to surround mental health in hospitality.”

Unox’s Italian headquarters also fund-matched the total raised, to help exceed the target.

Kris Hall, founder and chief executive of the Burnt Chef Project, said: “Completing this challenge and raising more than £23,000 to support the ongoing work of the Burnt Chef Project is truly inspiring.

“When I initially heard about the plans to carry a full-sized, 140kg Unox combi-oven up Ben Nevis, I was stunned – but through grit, determination and willpower, the team not only succeeded but did so in a way that will have motivated others, spread the word and helped hundreds, potentially thousands of individuals in hospitality who are struggling with mental health challenges.

“To every single member of the team, the partners and the wider support network who were involved in the Unox Moving Mountains challenge – thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”