Big Curry gets into British pubs in a big way

With so many new pubs taking part in The Soldiers’ Charity Big Curry this year, it is the involvement of people like the patrons of the Compton Swan which bring the fundraising to life for us at Big Curry HQ.

David Dawe at the Compton Swan, Newbury, had a big day planned for his Big Curry, but he wasn’t about to let sheer quantities of curry get in the way of his fun, so he decided to give his chef a little helping hand with some local support:

“Supporting a charity in this way should not be such a big deal for anyone in our industry – especially the big players. Our chef had never made such a large quantity of curry in his life! So we enlisted the assistance of a local Indian lady who was more than happy to advise on the quantities of spices and ingredients.”

The staff at the Compton Swan were even further energised for their Big Curry celebrations because of a very special event arranged to take place on the same day – an exclusive flyover of The Avro Vulcan XH588, known locally as ‘the people’s aircraft’. Supporting the Armed Forces in these two distinct ways suited David’s team perfectly, as they wanted to contribute to the upkeep of this icon of military past, while also addressing their desire to celebrate “the unsung men and women of present and past conflicts to help them through their present and future situations” via the work of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.

Acknowledgement must go to Compton Swan co-owners Jean-Marc and Penelope, who we are told spent some time “painlessly extricating the required donations from the day’s willing audience”, and combining good curry with good hospitality in order to give everyone a great day out. The team at the Compton Swan have done our campaign an enormous favour, not only by raising a fantastic £390, but also by proving how easy it is to host a Big Curry from your own pub kitchen.

Seeing our fundraisers in action in great British pubs across Great Britain gives Big Curry not only the funds, but also the drive and momentum to achieve its aim: supporting soldiers, former soldiers and their families in local communities everywhere.