A pair of aspiring bakers from ‘broken backgrounds’ are preparing for a sponsored climb up Iceland’s tallest mountain to help fund a new social enterprise bakery in Norfolk.
Former chef Colin Kerr, 45, and bakery trainee Tommy Tonner, 35, have both previously turned their lives around after graduating from Teen Challenge London – an intensive Christian residential programme held at Drayton Hall near Norwich that rehabilitates male drug addicts and alcoholics through confidence building and education in new vocational skills.
Teen Challenge also operates a popular café, 5:17 Coffee House, in Drayton village. Earlier this year, Kerr unveiled plans for Harry’s Recovery Kitchen, named after his six-month-old grandson who tragically lost his life in a car crash in 2022 with the driver subsequently pleading guilty to being over the prescribed limit.
The venture, to be located in a nearby retail shop, will produce a range of bakery items for walk-in customers, online sales, and for the café. It will offer work experience to reformed addicts, with proceeds fed back into the rehabilitation programme at Drayton Hall.
Equipment and production fit-out are to be paid for through sponsorship of Kerr and Tonner’s attempt to scale the 6,900ft peak of Hvannadalshnukur in Iceland, scheduled for next Spring. Kerr is targetting a raise of £6,500 with contributions now being accepted via his JustGiving page.
“Harry’s Recovery Kitchen is designed to be a sanctuary where we empower young lives by equipping them with essential bakery techniques alongside vital life skills that promote independence and success free from the clutches of drugs and alcohol,” commented Kerr, who struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction for more than two decades in his youth.
“Our approach emphasises compassion, understanding, and community, creating a nurturing environment that inspires growth, connection, and a renewed sense of purpose. Together, we will honour Harry’s memory by dedicating ourselves to this transformative journey, fostering resilience and reshaping lives one loaf at a time.”
Whilst admitting that he couldn’t pronounce Hvannadalshnukur either, Kerr noted that it was “not for the faint hearted”. Not only is it a live volcano it is also subject to unpredictable weather and common whiteouts with temperatures dropping to minus 25 degrees Celsius in some parts, he said. Reaching the summit requires crossing a crevasse-littered glacier called ‘Vatnajokull’, which is so large is covers 10% of the country. The pair are planning to do it all whilst wearing kilts, in honour of baby Harry’s Scottish heritage.
Tonner spent a total of 14 years in prison on criminal damage and drug addiction charges prior to joining the Teen Challenge programme and progressing to become a barista at 5:17 Coffee House. He has already started training with Kerr as a baker as well as for the Iceland hike by recently climbing the UK’s highest peak, Ben Nevis in Scotland (4,412ft), in Arctic-like conditions.
“Teen Challenge and Ben Nevis are the only things I’ve ever completed,” said Tonner. “Both were painful, but I overcame it; it was a breakthrough.”
Last year, a team from equipment supplier Unox UK carried a 140kg combi oven up Ben Nevis, helping raise over £22k for mental health charity The Burnt Chef Project.
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