A SOMERSET charity has received a donation of more than £3,000 in donations in memory of a talented county chef - and proceeds from a book published of his recipe notes.

County charity, The Growing Space, was handed the donation after the release of The Naked Geoff: 101lbs of Grub, which showcases the recipe notes of Geoff Redfearn, recreated by his friends and family.

Chef Geoff sadly passed away after a short illness in February 2018.

He was a talented chef, specialising in Thai cuisine and successfully ran his latest Thai/British venture, Redfearns, in Wincanton.

Over the years, he compiled a simple red ring binder of his recipe notes which he held dear.

Geoff’s friends and family were invited to interpret and reproduce his recipes, contribute their own cooks’ notes and take photographs of their dishes.

Kent-based marketing agency, Realia Marketing, managed the production of the book in memory of Geoff by donating the team’s project management and creative time to drive it forward.

Geoff was a close friend of Realia Directors, Paul and Nicola Williamson.

The Realia Marketing team also got to know Geoff after participating in an ‘away day’ that he organised and were invited to take over the operation of Geoff’s restaurant for an evening, which involved designing a menu, cooking that menu and providing a full restaurant service.

The book features 53 sweet and savoury Thai and British recipes, including a contribution from Chef Michel Roux Jr (owner of Le Gavroche).

He said: “I am sure I have seen this chocolate tart recipe before and even cooked it with Geoff at Cactus Kitchens.

"It was one of his favourites. It is great served with vanilla ice cream.”

Proceeds from sales of the book are being donated to The Growing Space, a Wincanton charity Geoff held close to his heart and from where Geoff sourced many of his restaurant ingredients.

Research by the mental health charity 'MIND' shows that gardening can help people through a specific period of difficulty in their lives and The Growing Space organises gardening activities for both adults and children at healthy living venue, The Balsam Centre, in Somerset.

The charity provides lots of different activities and services that help all members of the local community remain physically and mentally healthy, happy and content.

The initial print run of 150 books sold out in a month, shipping not only in the UK but also to the US and Australia, while Geoff’s family and friends also made generous donations following Geoff’s funeral, which has seen more than £3,000 has been donated to the charity so far.

Project lead at Realia Marketing, Nicola Williamson, said: “We are proud of our involvement with The Naked Geoff: 101lbs of Grub. It is more than a cookbook; it is a beautiful, personal tribute to a man who had such a positive impact on so many people, demonstrated by the enthusiasm and number of ‘chefs’ that came forward to choose and cook his recipes.

"By featuring real ‘chefs’, readers have been inspired to try cooking dishes that they previously thought were unachievable. We look forward to seeing how The Growing Space develops with these funds and hope to raise more for them.”

The book is available to purchase online at www.realia.co/grub for £14.99 plus delivery.