Confirming London’s respected position on the world’s culinary stage, one of the biggest events of the gourmet calendar will take place in the heart of the City on April 22. Converging on the capital, 45 grand chefs from Relais & Chateaux establishments in 12 different countries will create a dinner entitled The World’s Kitchen by the Thames, which will draw on the best of British produce, to raise money for the chosen charity of the evening, Action Against Hunger.

Judging by the success of the previous dinners at Versailles and in New York, this year’s event will make gastronomic history. In what was formerly the world’s largest fish market, Old Billingsgate, with views onto the River Thames, 600 guests will enjoy 15 different, original menus from some of the greatest chefs of our time, who will create the dinner as a live performance. Dishes (expect Cornish lobster or Devonshire brown cock crab, Scottish scallops and Aberdeen Angus beef) will be paired with vintage Pommery champagne.

Great Britain will be represented by Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison’s Raymond Blanc, Andrew Fairlie of Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Hibiscus’s Claude Bosi and Martin Burge of Whatley Manor, while chefs from abroad, spread over several continents, will include Peter Tempelhoff (The Collection by Liz McGrath, South Africa), Patrick O’Connell (The Inn at Little Washington, USA) and Lanshu Chen (Le Moût Restaurant, Taiwan).

During the evening, a silent auction will be held, with proceeds going to support Action Against Hunger.

Although the menus remain under wraps, it would be hard to find a better place for dinner than this on the evening before St George’s Day – celebrating the best of British produce in the hands of the best chefs in the world.