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'Service, please!': LNER Supports York Charity Cook Off

07/03/2025

'Service, please!': LNER Supports York Charity Cook Off

Ahead of International Women’s Day, LNER is proud to have supported York Women’s Counselling Service’s (YWCS) ‘Cook Off’ at York’s Grand Hotel Cookery School, who generously hosted the charity event.

The, now annual, Cook Off built on the success of last year’s event and saw LNER compete against two other prominent businesses in York in a fantastic, fun night, which tested teamwork and culinary expertise and raised more than £5,300 – much-needed funds for a vital local charity.

LNER's kitchen and waiting team at York Women's Counselling Service Cook Off (Alice Lodge Photography)

LNER colleagues competed against staff from Anaplan, a global tech giant which makes business planning, supply chain and financial software, and Yorvale Ltd, who produce award-winning real dairy ice cream in Yorkshire.

Each team worked with the same basic set of ingredients to produce a restaurant quality three-course meal for their invited guests. LNER won the on-the-night award for best table decoration, thanks to its working model railway. Meanwhile, Anaplan took the prize for stand-out dish, and Yorvale scooped the team culture award.

Guests were invited to donate towards their meal to reflect its value, with generously donated prizes also auctioned and raffled off. As a result of kind donations from local businesses and suppliers, all the money raised will go directly to benefit the crucial work of York Women’s Counselling Service.

LNER colleagues and invited guests at York Women's Counselling Service Cook Off (Alice Lodge Photography)

Jake Orros, Community Partnerships Manager at LNER, said: “We are delighted that we were able to support this special Cook Off and the incredibly important work of York Women’s Counselling service. The team at LNER had a fantastic day of doing something a little bit different and we even brought a touch of railway history to the evening with our Pullman-inspired dress-code for our waiters.”

Lead volunteer organiser for York Women’s Counselling Service, Jen Saunders, said: “The generous sponsorship of this event by LNER means so much to YWCS, as it will enable us to extend the support that is available to women in the YO postcodes. The Cook Off was a real test of collaboration and skill for all our teams, and it was great to see that they and their guests had such a fabulous evening.”