POETS Lunch Raises £32,000 For Hospitality Industry

A comedy set by Irish hip-hop crew, Abandoman, has helped the Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland raise £32,000 to support rising talent in Scottish hospitality.

The charity held its annual POETS (Push Off Early Tomorrow’s Saturday) Lunch in Glasgow earlier this month.

Abandoman duo Rob Broderick and James Hancox used their rapping and instrumental skills to create a never-to-be-repeated set for 420 supporters in the Glasgow Radisson Blu Hotel.

Winners of last year’s Hackney Empire New Act of the Year and the Musical Comedy Awards, Abandoman have performed at festivals across the UK and Ireland and sold out their entire run on the Edinburgh Fringe last year. They are regulars on TV and radio.

Scottish comedian and Master of Ceremonies Tam Cowan entertained the crowd, and there was a charity auction and golden raffle to raise money.

During the lunch, David Cochrane, chief executive of HIT Scotland, launched the charity’s 2012 Emerging Talent scholarship programme.

Available to everyone working in Scottish hospitality, the scholarships aim to help individuals realise their potential and raise ambitions across the industry.

Russell Davidson, managing director of Davidson Asset Management and chair of the POETS Lunch committee, said: "The POETS Lunch has become one of the 'must attend' social events for the hospitality industry in the west of Scotland.

"We raised a great amount for an important programme that all the industry will benefit from."

Later this year, HIT Scotland will hold more events in Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and London before returning to Glasgow for its end-of-year Christmas party.

The POETS Lunch was sponsored by Braehead Foods, New Wave Laundries and Xpress Recruitment.

As well as fundraising through events like the POETS Lunch, HIT Scotland is supported by Highland Spring, Robert Wiseman Dairies, Caterer.com, Enterprise Rent a Car, Phillips and Brakes Fresh Ideas.

Interested in training and giving your people the opportunity to develop their skills? Visit the Scotland Food & Drink Skills Academy.