Restaurateurs Honoured at Downing Street

This week sees the launch of the annual StreetSmart restaurant campaign that raises funds to tackle homelessness by adding a voluntary £1 per table to diner’s bills during the busy build up to Christmas. To mark the occasion, restaurateurs were invited to No.11 Downing Street in recognition of their fundraising efforts.

Restaurants like Nobu, St John, OXO Tower, e&o and Moro participate every year and help raise thousands of pounds for homeless charities. John Torode says “For over ten years now, Smiths of Smithfields have been involved with StreetSmart and it has been a real privilege to be able to contribute in some way to those who have a really tough life.Thank you to all our customers for being so supportive.”

In total, over 500 restaurants now participate and with big hitting newcomers like Heston's Dinner and Gordon’s Bread Street Kitchen joining, StreetSmart should beat last year's hefty £465,000 raised for local projects. And it couldn't be more appropriate to support this year’s campaign. StreetSmart's projects need the extra funds, particularly in these hard economic times, as they strive to get people off the streets and integrated back into society.Gordon Ramsay says "It's everyone's chance to do the right thing at the right time with only the gentlest of nudge."

StreetSmart is a simple and lean scheme that runs for two months at zero cost. The campaign doesn't dip into any of the funds raised because it has a sponsor - Deutsche Bank who fund the administration element thus ensuring that every penny given by diners goes directly to help the homeless and vulnerable.

Supporter Stephen Fry says “StreetSmart is low in bureaucracy and high on delivering where help is needed. We may not be able to solve the question of homelessness but at least by doing something we, in some way, diminish its tyranny.”

For a full list of participating restaurants and for more info about where the money raised goes visit or download the app for iPhone.

Notes to Editors

  • The 19 cities/regions taking part this year are: Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Cambridge, Cornwall, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hampshire, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Southend-on-Sea.
  • In 2011, StreetSmart funded 90 homeless organisations across the country
  • StreetSmart launch was hosted by Frances Osborne at No.11 Downing Street
  • Since 1998 StreetSmart has raised over £4.7million for the homeless
  • A full list of the participating restaurants, homeless projects funded and partners supporting StreetSmart can be found at
  • In 2010 the charity launched SLEEPSMART- a hotel campaign where a donation of £1 per stay is added to hotel rooms.
  • Trustees of StreetSmart are William Sieghart (Chairman of StreetSmart, Founder of Forward Publishing), May-Lou Sturridge (Former director of The Groucho Club, Hotelier), Rosie Boycott (Editor, Writer, Journalist, Chair of London Food), Nick Emley, (Entrepreneur, Former Director of StreetSmart), Lex Fenwick (Bloomberg)
  • For further information on StreetSmart, please contact Jennie Blouet on Tel 020 7292 5591 or email