Blog. Obsession 2022 breaks every record.

Obsession 2022 breaks every record raising £68,000 and leaving the nation in no doubt. Hospitality is back!

It’s brilliant to kick off the new year by welcoming back one of the nation’s best foodie events for 2022. Northcote’s Obsession Festival is a 15 night celebration of the best UK hospitality has to offer, showcasing our culinary & cultural diversity, amazing produce, our people, their passion and skills.

Not only is Obsession a gastronomic phenonium, it’s also one of HA’s most valued annual fundraisers which has contributed over £250,000 in recent years.

The numbers for 2022 are staggering.

• 15 Nights, 18 Chefs and 15 Michelin Stars
• 1,660 covers
• 560 bottles of Louis Roederer consumed and 70 bottles of Louis Roederer Cristal
• 1,400 bottles of wine enjoyed
• 13 regions of the British Isles and Ireland represented
• 77 different dishes served, including 24 fish & seafood dishes
• £68,000 raised for Hospitality Action 

From Friday 21^st January, right the way through to Sunday 6^th February, the team at Northcote, led by executive chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen, staged the biggest and most successful Obsession to date, with some of the UK and Ireland’s top chefs, including James Martin, Tom Kerridge, Matt Abe and Monica Galetti, showcasing their diverse and technically excellent menus.

Lisa Goodwin-Allen, executive chef at Northcote said; “Obsession 22 was something special. The hospitality industry took such a hit during the pandemic so we were all ready to put on a show of culinary brilliance, and that we did. The vibe, teamwork and overall energy from everyone involved was outstanding.

“Over the last two weeks, we also saw more than 1,660 guests travel to Northcote from all over the country, our biggest numbers yet since the inception of Obsession. It was amazing to see people out again, enjoying themselves and the feedback we’ve had from everyone who attended has been phenomenal; I have my amazing team and the incredible line up of chefs to thank for that, as well as our incredible sponsors, without their support we wouldn’t have been able to create a festival of this magnitude.

“We were also able to raise more than £68,000 for Hospitality Action, a charity which is close to my heart and one which helps supports people who work in hospitality.”

Obsession has built a strong reputation as one of the UK’s best food festivals and we’re delighted they continue to support HA as their chosen charity.

Events like Obsession are a great reminder of just how lucky we are to have such a great food scene in the UK and encourage us all to get back to the places we love.

Sadly, while the outlook is improving for our industry, demand for our help is just as high as it was during the peak of the pandemic. Mounting debt, skyrocketing costs of living, reduced government support and expensive housing are pushing more and more hospitality people beyond the brink of poverty and we’re working tirelessly to help as many people as possible.

With a reduced event fundraising programme in 2022 we need more operators to take their lead from Northcote and to support HA in 2022.

To get involved by including us as your charity of the year, or even by stocking Invisible Chips, drop us a line.