CORD BY LE CORDON BLEU TO HOST BRAZILIAN CHARITY DINNER CELEBRATING ART, CULTURE AND GIVING
CORD by Le Cordon Bleu on London’s Fleet Street will host a special charity dinner and auction on Wednesday 4 November 2026, bringing together food, art and philanthropy in support of LAR da Bênção Divina, a Brazilian charity dedicated to improving opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people.
The evening forms part of Chair Love 2026, a Brazilian art and social impact initiative making its UK debut this autumn. Chair Love was created to give new life to children’s chairs once used in the organisation’s dining hall, inviting contemporary artists to reinterpret them as artworks that could make a lasting difference to the children LAR supports.
CORD’s culinary team headed by Executive Chef Karl O’Dell will create a specially designed three course menu priced at £225 per head, including a glass of sparkling wine on arrival and a half of bottle of wine each with the meal and can be booked by calling the restaurant on 0203 1436 365 or emailing reception@cordrestaurant.co.uk
At the heart of the event will be a striking artwork created by Brazilian artists Michel Sena and Raquel Ramalho, transforming a child’s chair into a contemporary work of art that celebrates family, connection and the importance of nurturing future generations. Combining painting and crochet in a vibrant interplay of colour and texture, this piece represents the relationship between mother and child, inviting reflection on the importance of care, belonging and shared experiences.
The chair has a particularly poignant history. Once used by children attending LAR’s educational programmes in São Paulo, it has been given a new lease of life through the creativity of the two artists. Rather than being discarded when the charity received new furniture, the original chairs were offered to Brazilian artists as blank canvases, transforming everyday objects into unique works of art that will help raise funds for the next generation of children.
This is one of three artist-created chairs being brought to London and they, alongside other artworks, will be auctioned at the CORD dinner in partnership with Jonty Hearnden, former BBC presenter and art and antiques expert. Ten per cent of the auction proceeds will go to the artists, with the remainder supporting LAR’s educational, cultural and sporting programmes.
The evening will celebrate the connection between Le Cordon Bleu’s London and São Paulo schools, reflecting the culinary heritage and international outlook of the two institutions and guests will also have the opportunity to purchase Brazilian crafts and artworks in support of Instituto Link Social, a separate charitable organisation working to improve access to clean drinking water, nutrition and education in disadvantaged communities in Brazil. All proceeds from these sales will support its social programmes.
Founded in 1956, LAR da Bênção Divina has spent 70 years supporting children, teenagers and families experiencing social vulnerability through education, sport, music and cultural activities.
The initiative’s first Brazilian edition reached thousands of visitors across 20 venues and raised funds benefiting 830 children. Its arrival in London marks a new chapter for the campaign, bringing Brazilian creativity and philanthropy to an international audience.
