Yuppiechef, Andy Fenner and Dylan Jones to hold online art auction in aid of SA's restaurants

“Dylan is an incredibly talented artist and we hope that the sale of his sketches will assist a few Cape Town restaurants to keep their doors open, post lockdown.” Speaking of the decision to host the auction online: “It was a no-brainer, to be honest. Yuppiechef has always tried to support local brands and people through the added content they produce. We pitched them the idea of anchoring the auction on their Insta page (@yuppiechef) and they didn’t hesitate.

As it stands, the project has seven participating venues. Jones has sketched each one in graphite pencil on 120 GSM paper. Signed and framed in teak wood, they measure 185 mm. The originals will be auctioned off this Friday on Yuppiechef’s Instagram page.

The featured venues are: 

• Chef’s Warehouse Bree Street

• Bao Down
  
• Publik Wine Bar
  
• Clarke’s
  
• Jason Bakery
  
• The General Store

“With Yuppiechef coming on board as partners, we realised the reach was bigger than we originally thought,” says Fenner. “Dylan agreed to open up a range of prints for each venue, as well as the original pieces. That was huge for us, as it can potentially drum up even more money for the people that need it. Those prints will be sold via individual venues and sent out after lockdown. We’ll get into that once the auction is done.”

A musician-turned-butcher-turned-chef and now artist, Dylan Jones is a former employee of Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants. After leaving the butchery to chase his dream of becoming a chef at popular Cape Town restaurant The Commissary, Jones was left feeling a great sense of loss after seeing the impact Covid-19 has had on the industry. “My kitchen team there was like a family,” Jones explains. “To see them all left stranded was heart-breaking.”

View this post on Instagram

**We’re hosting an Instagram Art Auction for restaurant industry relief** . We’ve banded together to raise funds for and call attention to a restaurant industry that has been battling this past month. When approached by musician, turned butcher, turned chef (and now artist), Dylan Jones, and owner of @frankiefennermeatmerchants, Andy Fenner, to collaborate to help offer relief to the many industry players affected by COVID-19, we immediately jumped on board. Dylan, previously sous chef @thecommissary_ct put his artistic skills to work to sketch 7 iconic food establishments in Cape Town to be auctioned off this Friday, 24 April, *right here* on our Instagram account at 9am sharp. All proceeds from the auction of these original pieces will enable the various venues to support their staff and suppliers, and help cover their rent. Since FFMM is fortunate to be able to trade during the lockdown, Andy Fenner will be donating the proceeds from his piece to the @isabelocharity, a project with the mission of feeding young, hungry minds, run by multi-award-winning chef Margot Janse. . If you want to get in on the auction action, add the event to your calendar and check in @yuppiechef this Friday. From 9am to 6pm you’ll be able to bid on any one or more of the 7 pieces, and you know how it goes, highest! bid! wins! Offering a helping hand to a currently crippled industry AND getting to hang an original Dylan Jones on your wall? Sounds like a double-whammy win, to us. . Art specifications: Sketched using graphite pencil on 120 GSM paper. Sketches are 185mm x 185mm and are delivered framed in a Kiaat wood frame. . . . #artauction #industryrelieffund #capetownrestaurants #eatoutguide #insideguide #eatoutcapetown #food24sa #ilovefoodiesCT #instaeatscapetown #yuppiechef #jasonbakery #baodown #clarkescapetown #frankiefennermeatmerchants #chefswarehousebree #publikwine #thegeneralstore #isabeloproject

A post shared by Yuppiechef (@yuppiechef) on Apr 22, 2020 at 12:09am PDT

Jones elaborates. “Once Andy got the ball rolling I couldn’t stop. The project was a way for me to keep busy but - more than that - it had such good intentions behind it. I got a few pics and got started with the drawings pretty much straight away.”

“What the individual restaurants do with the money is up to them,” Jones says of the proceeds he plans to generate, “they can use it to cover rent, pay their staff or settle up with suppliers. There are so many families affected by this thing and I just want to play a part in helping.”

Over and above this, Jones has sketched Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants too. As the owner, Fenner wants to donate all proceeds generated by the sale of his piece (and subsequent prints) to a charity called Isabelo. “We’ve been fortunate enough to trade throughout lockdown -- which means we’re in better shape than most,” he clarifies. “Margot Janse, the ex-head chef of Le Quartier Français, is doing inspirational things with her charity, feeding thousands of people. Amazing people are doing amazing things and this will hopefully go a long way to helping her cause.”

Both men are hoping that there are some generous readers out there, who can collectively play a part in keeping the doors open at some of the city’s most-loved venues. “It’s bigger than that though,” they both agree. “It’s about the people who work in these restaurants. We need to fight and scrap for anything we can to allow them to support their families.” Fenner can’t help but shout out to Jones. “Dylan has always had a massive heart. He’s always looking for ways to help. He’s worked so hard on these pieces and stands to gain nothing financially. I hope they’re well received.”