Friends and supporters of the National Lobster Hatchery were treated to an after-dinner speech from acclaimed media personality Monty Halls at the fabulous new No. 1 Rock Road Restaurant, with its stunning views across the Camel Estuary in Rock. The fundraising event, held on Friday 14th of October, included a prize draw to determine the winner of a luxury two-night break on the Isles of Scilly, with flights courtesy of Skybus and accommodation provided by the beautiful Hell Bay Hotel on the island of Bryher, Isles of Scilly.
As if that and a fine two course meal wasn’t enough to keep guests entertained, those in attendance had the chance to meet guest speaker Monty Halls. Alongside his work as a marine biologist, writer and explorer, Monty presents his own TV series on BBC2, ‘Monty Halls Great Escapes’. Monty is currently filming in Cornwall for a new series that will be out in the Spring 2012 called The Big Catch, which will profile Monty living the life of a Cornish fisherman. Monty has an intimate knowledge of the importance of marine resource management and conservation, and was first approached to speak at the dinner by Hatchery General Manager Dom Boothroyd; while the pair released 1,600 juvenile lobsters together from a fishing vessel off the Lizard Peninsula!
Mr Boothroyd, speaking ahead of the fundraising evening, said, “2011 has been our charity’s most successful year ever; we’ve already released over 32,000 juvenile lobsters around Cornwall. Friday’s dinner is about celebrating that achievement and raising funds to help us continue our positive contribution to the sustainability of the Cornish lobster fishery. We’re hugely thankful to No.1 Rock Road for hosting us and to Skybus and the Hell Bay Hotel for their generosity in donating such a fantastic raffle prize, and I’m delighted that Monty Halls is taking valuable time out of his hectic schedule to come and support us.”
No.1 Rock Road opened earlier this year, and Ryan Wood, a Chef at the restaurant, said, “We’re proud to support a number of local charities, especially those that benefit the fishing community, and the National Lobster Hatchery does that. We always look to serve local, sustainably sourced seafood where possible, and for every half-lobster we sell here, we encourage the customer to make a £1 donation to the Hatchery, which we then match to cover the cost of a juvenile lobster being released back into Cornish waters.”
