A star-studded line-up from Hong Kong’s F&B industry have come together with leading luxury fashion boutique JOYCE to support social enterprise Cookie Smiles in its mission to give back to the city’s disadvantaged communities this festive season. Twelve celebrity chefs have put their own spin on gingerbread creations that will be available at a fun and heartwarming pop-up, with proceeds going to ImpactHK and other charity organisations supported by the homegrown social enterprise.
#FindYourPerfectMan at Gingerbread For Good at JOYCE
Gingerbread For Good at JOYCE will run from December 6 to 23 at the JOYCE boutique in New World Tower, Central, with a range of unique gingerbread men created by the following celebrity chefs and culinary experts:
- Agustin Balbi and pastry chef Joanna Yuen, Ando
- Baptiste Villefranque, W Hong Kong
- Chris Ho, private chef by the name of “Ho La Ho Sik”
- Robin Zavou and pastry chef Christophe Sapy, Mandarin Oriental
- Franckelie Laloum and pastry chef Natalie Leung, Louise
- Graham Long, The Continental, The Upper House
- Chris Czerwinski and sous chef Chan Chun Fai, Salisterra at The Upper House
- Richard Ekkebus and pastry chef Valentin Mille, Amber at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental
- Salvador Benedicto, Cassio
- Sheldon Fonseca, The Mira Hong Kong
- Uwe Opocensky and executive pastry chef Julien Gourmelon, Shangri-La Group
- Wil Fang, Cookie DPT
Guests are sure to find their perfect man with the delicious creations available, ranging from classic flavour combinations like W Hong Kong’s festive “W Christmas Touch” made with ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt, and Ando’s “Grumpy Mojo”, a maple syrup gingerbread man that’ll turn any frown upside down; to out-of-the-box creations like Chris Ho’s “Baijiu Five-spice Gingerbread Men” with honey to balance the fiery flavours. Island Shangri-La’s “Gingerbread Nutcracker” and Mandarin Oriental’s “MO Salty Caramel Man” have elevated the humble gingerbread with chocolate and salted caramel respectively, making excellent stocking stuffers.
Chocolate lovers will appreciate offerings from The Mira Hong Kong, Cassio, Cookie DPT and Louise. The Mira Hong Kong’s “Happy & Festive Gingerbread Man” has a 70% Dark chocolate cookie base with a classic gingerbread top, Chef Salvador from Cassio’s “Snowy Gingerbread Man” is a snowman with coconut and milk chocolate, Cookie DPT has combined a rich chocolate red velvet cookie dough with traditional gingerbread flavours to create “Red Velvet Ginger Bread”, and Louise pays tribute to jaffa cakes and chocolate oranges with a gingerbread man named “Delichoc!”, which is covered in a gingerbread flavoured chocolate and orange ganache, then dipped in milk chocolate. Rounding off the gingerbread men offerings is The Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s “The Big Boy”, using mikan being Japanese tangerines which the team has made into a jam, Salisterra’s “Mr. Terra” with rosemary molasses and sea salt, and The Continental’s “Mr Classic”, inspired by the traditional European fare served at the restaurant.
Sale proceeds from the pop-up will go towards charity partner ImpactHK, which helps people experiencing homelessness in the city develop skills and find homes. Money raised will also be reinvested into Cookie Smiles to further support for graduates and employees from Shine Skills Centre.
About Cookie Smiles
Encouraging inclusivity in the hospitality industry since its inception in June 2020, Cookie Smiles has raised over $100,000 for its annual beneficiaries, Splash Foundation and The Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association. A social enterprise with a passion for serving the disadvantaged and satisfying the world with the ultimate comfort food, Cookie Smiles not only creates opportunities for the public to give back, but also offers training opportunities for the disadvantaged through Shine Skills Centre and provides jobs for the physically impaired.