Matt's Story.

8 years ago, Vice Chair of the British Culinary Federation and award-winning chef Matt Davies was flying high, gaining plaudits for his food and putting his home county of Staffordshire on the culinary map.

Matt suffered a horrific accident at work. which resulted in extensive burns, and trauma to his dominant left arm. Despite the best efforts of his medical team, Matt’s lower left arm was amputated.

Watch his story

His 8-year journey continues to this day. And despite over 80 surgeries to save what’s left of his left arm, Matt endured a further partial amputation just a few weeks ago.

There have been moments during that period where Matt has contemplated whether life was worth living. The chronic pain from his injuries, the constant threat of infection, and the harsh realities of coming to terms with life as an amputee have all taken their toll.

But Matt is a fighter, and thanks to the love of his amazing wife Tina, and the ongoing support from Hospitality Action, he’s gone on to rebuild his life and has even raised more than £100,000 for Hospitality Action and his local hospital, and he’s a vocal advocate for our work inspiring the next generation of chefs and hospitality leaders.

We first met Matt when he called our helpline, having worked his entire life in our sector he didn’t know where to turn, or what help was available, not to mention the emotional strain he was experiencing. In Matt’s words ‘HA wrapped their arms around me’, we helped him put together the pieces of his life guiding him through the process of accessing his benefit entitlement and providing emotional support. To this day we’re in weekly contact with Matt, checking in, offering our care and ongoing support.

Our support isn’t always just financial, hospitality people are often defined by their job, and the loss of a career can result in the loss of identity too. We understand this, and walk with our beneficiaries as they put their lives back together.