Hot on the heels of the amazing Step Up Challenge mounted by Dorset Mind ‘heroes’ Ben Reynolds, Jamie Whisken and Ty Temel comes another physical feat.

This time the gauntlet has been thrown down by The Burnt Chef, the not-for-profit social enterprise headed by Kris Hall to challenge mental health stigma within hospitality.

It’s to complete a virtual tour around many of the UK’s Michelin restaurants and raise money for a text based mental health crisis service for hospitality.

You can run, walk, cycle, row or do any other distance-based exercise.

Starting at the most northern point in Skye at the Loch Bay Restaurant, the tour will travel virtually through the length of the UK finishing at Paul Ainsworth’s No6 Restaurant in Padstow over the course of eight weeks.

As a team effort it will cover more than 2,148 miles (3,458 km) over eight weeks.

It’s hoped the challenge will raise at least £10,000 which will fund the first year of a new hospitality specific mental health crisis service.

Kris, pictured right, who founded The Burnt Chef in May 2019, said: “The Get Active for Lockdown Challenge is to encourage those currently facing a sedentary lifestyle as a result of this new lockdown to get up and moving.

“All in aid of raising money for a hospitality specific mental health crisis line.

“In 2017, the NHS reported one in four Britons will likely suffer from mental health issues during their lifetime.

“It’s a huge, invisible issue in the UK, but it’s even bigger in hospitality.

“We carried out a study among 1,300 food service professionals and found that this number is closer to four out of five.

“It has been well documented by the Office for National Statistics that suicide rates have long been on the rise particularly with males between the ages of 18 to 34.

“The most recent data on this we have is before we felt the effects of Covid-19.

“We are finding through conversation that mental health is being negatively impacted because of this pandemic.

“With that in mind The Burnt Chef Project aims to launch a hospitality specific mental health crisis service which is a free text-based service available 24/7 to those who may feel anxious, stressed, depressed, suicidal or overwhelmed and who need immediate support.

“A front-line response to help fight this epidemic at its worst.

“The service will cost approximately £10,000 per year to run and we are looking for financial support to help us in our mission to raise enough money to cover the first year of this service at a critical time in our industry.

“With that The Get Active Lockdown Challenge was born.”

Every entrance fee will directly contribute to the £10k goal.

Individuals can track their overall progress via the My Virtual Mission app available on Android and Apple.

It also can sync with many of the favourite fitness apps so that distances are updated automatically.

Kris added: “We do this as a team.

“So, whether you add 1km or 100km it all goes towards our total distance target.

“It’s all about getting out and about and getting moving while raising some money for a vital service.”

The Get Active for Lockdown Challenge is supported by Lamb Weston and The Wonky Table, which represents more than 500 restaurants, pubs, clubs, bars and the events industry in the BCP, Dorset and Hampshire hospitality sector.

Andy Lennox, Founder, said: “The Wonky Table has supported a number of these events over the past nine months.

“Not to mention I and my businesses personally support the Burnt Chef as ambassadors

“However, with the Burnt Chef being hospitality focused, and the industry at a critical momen,t it’s seems only right and proper that we get behind it.

“It would seem I have to dust of my running shoes!”

The challenge launches on January 18 but pre-registration is already open via: burntchefproject.com/getactive.