Flybe / September 2018

36 / 116

36 / Flight Time / SEPTEMBER 2018
Real Life
roles that have taken me around the world;
I’ve appeared on television several times and
cooked for some seriously-famous VIPs.
“Everything changed for me in May
2015 when, in the middle of the night, I had
a seizure. I was living in Melbourne at the
time and was rushed into hospital where they
discovered I had a grade 2 brain tumour.
“I was 31, working as Executive Head
Chef at the most prestigious hotel in
Australia and I thought I was in perfect
health, so this came as a huge blow. I suffered
severe side effects from the seizure, which
was closely followed by complications after
the doctors took a biopsy which resulted in
loss of speech and brain damage.
“I spent six weeks in rehab to get well
enough to have surgery to remove the
tumour. This was done successfully on
October 2015.”
The doctors told John that the slow-
growing tumour can come back at any time.
It could be a year or it could be 10 years.
Research and reading as much as possible
have helped him to understand his prognosis
and he is slowly coming to terms with living
with a brain tumour.
“My consultant and surgeon have both
been pleased with my progress and in
F L I G H T D E TA I L S
Flybe’s franchise partner Stobart Air
has flights to London Southend from
Antwerp, Budapest, Caen-Normandy,
Cologne, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Glasgow,
Groningen, Lyon, Manchester, Milan,
Prague, Rennes, Vienna and Zadar.
CHEF JOHN LAWSON HAS
A VERY GOOD REASON FOR
ONLY COOK I NG FOOD AT
H I S RESTAURANT THAT
HAS HEALTH AND
WELLBE I NG BENEF I TS…
Food
for
life
n 27th October, a very special
meal will take place at chef John
Lawson’s restaurant FOOD, in
Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. John will
be hosting an intimate dining experience
with the help of his former teacher and
mentor, Raymond Blanc OBE, and fellow
protégés Robin Gill and Ollie Dabbous, in aid
of the Brain Tumour Research Campaign.
Brain cancer survivor John, along with
Raymond, Robin and Ollie, will prepare
dishes using only seasonal ingredients which
actively benefit the brain. Aiming to raise
£10,000 for the charity, each chef will create
a beautifully-presented and full-of-flavour
dish free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar
for diners to enjoy.
FOOD by John Lawson opened in June
last year in the fishing town of Leigh-on-Sea,
perfectly located for fresh fish and the bounty
of the beautiful Essex countryside. There is
no menu; whatever is in season and delivered
from the fisherman or farmer is prepared for
the day. FOOD uses only the best produce,
grown as close to the restaurant door as
possible. All food is cooked with health
in mind; John only uses ingredients and
techniques that promote positive health and
wellbeing.
Says John: “I love food; cooking it,
sharing it, talking about it and, of course,
eating it! I have worked with and for some
of the best in the business; Raymond Blanc,
Gordon Ramsay, Gary Jones. I have had
O
October 2016 I got the all clear,” said John.
“My recovery comes down to the food I
eat. Food that helps your gut talk to your
brain; brain food that helps your body repair
tissues.
“I would now like to help everyone
benefit from eating wholesome food. We
really are what we eat, and we have to look
after our bodies and nourish them.
“Every day I am grateful to be here and
to be cooking again. There was a point when
I thought it would never happen, I couldn’t
even peel a carrot three years ago, following
my seizure. I am one of the lucky ones. I see
my role now as a chef and spokesperson – I
want to help change things to make people
more aware of brain tumours.
“It’s pretty scary stuff as this type of cancer
is now responsible for the highest number
of deaths in the under-40 age bracket, yet
it is the most under-funded and under-
researched. I hope that this event will help
not only raise money for much-needed
research but also awareness. Everything
we will be cooking will be in line with my
restaurant’s ethos, with health and well-being
at the forefront. My tumour can come back
at any time. There are thousands of other
people in the UK who, just like me, are living
with a brain tumour. I want to do my part
and try to change the statistics.”