The event raised £275,000 towards the purchase of a robot that can perform cancer surgery

Richard Corrigan (centre) with guests at his restaurant including Royal Free chief exec Peter Landstrom (left)

A new surgical robot is set to soon arrive in North London after a Michelin-starred chef hosted a “glittering dinner” which raised an incredible £275,000 to help pay for it.

Richard Corrigan hosted the event at his National Portrait Gallery restaurant, The Portrait, in aid of the Royal Free Charity, which raises money for Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

The trust manages a number of hospitals including Chase Farm, Barnet and North Mid and the money raised will go towards funding a second ‘Da Vinci Xi’ surgical robot to help cancer patients.

The cause is a deeply personal one for Richard, one of the UK’s best-known chefs. In 2024, following a diagnosis of kidney cancer, he underwent a seven-hour surgery to remove the tumour, performed by urological consultant, Ravi Barod, using the sole surgical robot at Royal Free Hospital in Camden.

Richard said “I was more than glad to support the Royal Free Charity in getting another surgical robot. When I was at my lowest, it was my surgeon and his team, along with that remarkable bit of kit, that gave me real hope. If I can help someone else get that same chance, then I’m absolutely delighted to do it.”

Royal Free London is the UK’s second largest – and London’s largest – cancer treatment centre, receiving 66,000 urgent cancer referrals per year. With the number of cancer patients ever increasing, the trust faces rising demand for robotic surgery to help patients with the most aggressive forms of cancer.

Royal Free Charity has been fundraising to bring an additional surgical robot into the team and has so far raised £1.7million towards the total £2m appeal.

Guests at the event enjoyed a four-course feast created by Richard and friends, featuring dishes such as ballotine of guinea fowl, seared salmon sashimi and lemon tart. After dinner, Richard recounted his own journey with cancer – and how surgical innovation helped save his life.

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