Friday night banter at The Butcher’s Tap & Grill in Marlow has turned into the ultimate light-hearted grudge match as radio and TV presenter Chris Evans challenged chef Tom Kerridge to a celebrity Marlow Cricket match. Tom’s team of hand-picked chefs and foodies will go head-to-head with Chris Evan’s all-star players who he began recruiting live on radio. The secretly guarded superstar line ups will be announced next week.

The match is in aid of Meals for Marlow to raise funds for those who face poverty and struggle to get food on the table every day.

The match will take place in Higginson Park from 3pm – 5.30pm on Friday 19^th May, next to the Pub in the Park festival. Whilst spectators are welcome to watch for free, voluntary donations of £10 per person will be encouraged. 

For cricket fans and festival lovers, Pub in the Park has released 100 of the most unique, tickets ever announced – the limited-edition Meals from Marlow AAAA ticket. For £200*, party goers will not only get the best seats to watch the cricket unfold, but they will get to rub shoulders with the celebrities in the players paddock before heading to the VIP afterparty, front of stage, at the festival – all whilst making a significant donation to this local charity.

Each Meals from Marlow AAAA ticket sold will fund 66 meals for those in need.

Artists performing in the evening being billed as ‘Friday Night Fever’ will be legendary Motown hitmakers – The Jacksons, Ministry of Sound Disco and Rick Parfitt Junior – promising a night of non-stop party hits.

For the first time ever, Pub in the Park will also be raising additional vital funds via their ‘donate-a-dish’ scheme. This ‘dish’ will feature on every restaurant menu in Marlow for £3. Rather than being a physical meal, it will act as a means to donate to the local food bank. This ‘pay it forward’ scheme will not only raise funds but also awareness of the work the food bank does for local people.

Pub in the Park has worked alongside Michelin-star chef Tom Kerridge and Andy Agar on Meals from Marlow since April 2020, providing meals for key workers in the pandemic. This work has since been expanded to include people in need around the area and has to date raised £370,000 and provided in excess of 190,000 meals to date. With the cost-of-living crisis rife across the UK, there is more work to be done than ever. The aim is to raise as much money and to feed as many as possible.

Tom Kerridge, Michelin-star chef and Founder of Pub in the Park said: “I can’t wait to go up against Chris and show him who’s boss in the cricket match! My team are primed and raring to go… it’s going to be a corker of a match. Of course we can’t forget why we’re doing this either, we want to do everything we can to support families who are struggling to put food on the table. Giving back to the local community is so important to us at Pub in the Park and Meals from Marlow, and an essential part of the festival this year and beyond.”

Miranda Martin, MD at Pub in the Park said: “It is more important now than ever to spotlight charities supporting our local communities and combating the current cost of living crisis. Food has always been at the heart of what we do, and during these challenging times we hope that we can use our network to raise awareness, much needed funds, and give back to the local community in each town we visit.”

Meals from Marlow AAAA tickets and Pub in the Park tickets on sale now from  pubintheparkuk.com.

To make a donation to Meals from Marlow, please visit the Go Fund Me page at www.gofundme.com/f/e8z4c-meals-from-marlow-2023