Media Release
12 June 2007

Auckland’s Choicest Dinner Party Is Back!

No auctions, no raffles, no speeches.
The Chandon Supper Club opens its doors to new members in the fight against cancer.

Bookings for tables at the hottest fundraising event in town are almost sold out as the second Chandon Supper Club opens for dinner in Auckland on Thursday 21st June. This year the eclectic charity event involves 31 private dinner parties at 31 of Auckland’s chicest restaurants, each with 12 guests, held simultaneously on Thursday 21st June 2007.

Hosts pay for a delicious dinner and great wine to share with friends and colleagues. Restaurants donate all food and service for the night, and wines are supplied by the sponsor, Chandon - part of the Moet Hennessy group. Chandon sparkling wine is the hero of the night with all diners enjoying a glass of bubbles on arrival and complimentary wines from Chandon and Green Point will be served throughout the night.

At the conclusion of each dinner, guests are transported by Corporate Cabs to an exclusive after party at a secret location where they can enjoy further hospitality and party into the small hours. Christian Dior make up artists will also be on hand to touch up and re-apply to ensure that the guests are looking their best for the paparazzi shots. Interestingly, in 2006 it was the male dinner guests that made the most of this service!
The inaugural event in 2006 saw over 300 guests enjoy dinner at the city’s finest restaurants before converging on Pontoon to party till the small hours. This year the venues range from Metro magazine’s restaurant of the year, The Engine Room, through to the Boardroom at the Auckland Racing Club, which will once again host a Chandon Supper Club table amidst over 150 years of racing memorabilia including historic artworks and trophies.
Across town, Anne Thorp, celebrity chef and host of “Kai Ora” a popular series on the Maori Channel and the Living Channel, will welcome property developer Pat Rippin and his party into her Herne Bay home for a “seafood extravaganza”. While down on the waterfront, Louis Vuitton will be celebrating Team New Zealand at Pontoon!

Tables cost $3000 plus GST with all proceeds going to the Cancer Society. Last year’s event raised over $60,000 to support research work into the causes and treatments of cancer being carried out at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre.

John Loof, Chief Executive of Auckland’s Cancer Society, says feedback from last years diners has been non-stop. “Everyone loved the idea of supporting our organisation in such a simple way. You pay for a delicious dinner and great wine shared with friends or colleagues and then a party. Once you buy a table you don’t have to open your wallet again and there are no boring speeches, auctions, or raffles to break up the party atmosphere,” he says.

The Chandon Supper Club began six years ago in London when Louis Vuitton raised funds for the AID’s charity, the Lighthouse Foundation. With patron Yasmin LeBon driving the glamour factor, the event was an instant hit with the city’s influential and beautiful. Australia adopted the event in 2004, with the Chandon Supper Club now taking place in every state. Across the Tasman competition between the tables is fierce with each dinner party taking special themes and fancy dress to epic proportions.

To buy a table* at the 2007 Chandon Supper Club contact Phil Briars at the Cancer Society: email pbriars@akcansoc.org.nz or phone 09 308 0169. *At time of writing this, only two restaurants remained unsold. It’s not too late for extra restaurants to be included - if someone wants to buy a table and the restaurant is willing, it’s still do-able.

List of restaurants taking part in the 2007 Chandon Supper Club:
• Andiamo
• Anne Thorp - Kai Ora
• Auckland Racing Club
• Blowfish Sushi
• Bracu
• Cibo
• Cin Cin
• Clooney
• Dine @ The Grand Hotel
• Euro
• French Café
• Hammerheads
• Jervois Rd Steakhouse
• Mikano
• Non Solo Pizza
• Number 5
• O'Connell Street Bistro
• Opium
• Pontoon
• Rice
• Rocco
• Sails
• Soul Bar
• SPQR
• Tabou
• The Engine Room
• The Grove
• Toto
• Tribeca
• Vinnies
• White @ The Hilton

ends

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