Edinburgh restaurants: Gordon Ramsay's festive fundraiser returns to his Edinburgh restaurants

‘GReat Donate’ festive fundraiser comes to Edinburgh to raise money for specialist charity Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus

Gordon Ramsay Restaurant Edinburgh venues have welcomed the return of their ‘GReat Donate’ festive fundraiser, to raise money for specialist charity Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus (SBH) Scotland.

The fundraiser launched during the 2022 festive season, coinciding with the launch of Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger restaurant in the St James Quarter. They raised £15,642 as a result, which Gordon and Tana Ramsay then generously matched to give the charity an extra special funding boost.

This year, a £1 voluntary donation will be added to diner’s bills at Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen & Bar at St Andrew Square and Street Burger at St James Quarter until the end of December.

Bread Street Kitchen and Bar staff at St Andrew's Square celebrate the launch of the festive fundraiser. Pictured are Meath Trainor, Lawrence Cowan, Spiney, Agata Lubera and manager Eirini Dima.

The funds raised will help SBH Scotland provide vital support to over 4,000 children, young people and adults across Scotland who are affected by the lifelong, complex conditions of spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus.

Gordon Ramsay became SBH Scotland’s first ever Honorary Patron back in 2003 when he met the organisation’s chairperson, Dr Margo Whiteford CBE, at the Great North Run. For 20 years, he has continued to support SBH Scotland through charitable donations and appearances.

A spokesperson from Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants said: “SBH Scotland are a fantastic charity which makes a real difference to the lives of so many families across Scotland who are affected by spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus.

“We’re delighted to bring back our Festive Fundraiser to our Bread Street Kitchen & Bar and Street Burger restaurants in Edinburgh and we hope our diners will be happy to make a small gesture this Christmas, that’ll have a big impact on families across Scotland.

Staff at Street Burger at St James Quarter celebrating the launch. Pictured are Tim Joaquim (General Manager Street Burger), Lawrence Cowan and Spiney.

Lawrence Cowan, chief executive of SBH Scotland, said: “As our Honorary Patron, Gordon has been a great friend of our charity for nearly two decades and we couldn’t be more thankful for his and Tana’s continued generosity.

“Over the years, Gordon has taken time out from his busy schedule to host gala dinners, launch appeals including the campaign to build our Family Support Centre, and personally meet with the families we support.

“Right now, people need our support more than ever. Christmas can be a difficult time and with the burden of the cost-of-living crisis looming heavily in families lives, our finance, benefits and specialist support services are needed more than ever. Through this campaign people can help make sure that no one affected by spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus feels alone.

“We rely on donations to make sure our lifeline support continues, so being able to work with the brilliant teams at Gordon Ramsay Restaurants again means a lot to us and the families we support.

“We thank all the diners visiting Bread Street Kitchen or Street Burger this festive season. Every £1 donated matters to a family in need. It’s a chance to enjoy great food and support a great cause this Christmas.”

Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland was formed in 1965 by group of parents who each had a child with spina bifida (a fault in the spinal column where vertebrae do not form completely, leaving a gap causing problems with the nervous system) and/or hydrocephalus, a condition where increased pressure on the brain can cause social, emotional, cognitive and behavioural difficulties.