87-year-old cricket legend is still doing a turn for charity

One of the finest wicket-keeper batsmen in Cricket Test history is hosting a charity evening at East Cheshire’s only Michelin Guide restaurant, La Popote in Marton, near Congleton.

Farokh Engineer, an entertaining Lancashire cricketer with an infectious personality, was an integral part of the Clive Lloyd glory era of the 1960s and 70s. 

He played for India for almost 15 years and later became a star turn on the speaking circuit. 

Now 87, he’s still in demand and – thanks to a chance meeting in an online bridge club during Covid – he’s hosting the charity dinner.

This is in support of Bombay-born Farokh’s chosen charity, Homeless Children in India.

Farokh’s connection with the casual fine dining restaurant was made with cricket lover Cris Rawlins, whose son Joe is the chef and co-owner at La Popote.

Said Cris:

“During the dreadful morale sapping time of Covid a lot of us found our own ways of escaping the gloom and misery online, but I never expected to become friendly with a world-wide cricket star.

“Like me Farokh loves cricket, like me he loves bridge – we both play several times a week online – like me he loves great food and like me he’s a member of MCC.

“I suffer from Parkinson’s Disease and playing bridge online is something I can do reasonably well. I have difficulty holding cards and when I play on a computer I can use my brain to work out my strategies.

“The popularity of bridge exploded all over the world during the pandemic and it was a life saver for millions of people, although Farokh is the only one of my opponents I have ever physically met.”

Farokh, who lives in Knutsford, was already one of La Popote’s customers when he initially connected with Cris online.

Cris, from Woodford, added:

*Farokh and his wife Julie have had a couple of meals in the restaurant with me and my wife Helen. They are charming company.”

Chef Joe Rawlins, brought up in Wilmslow, was a junior team off-spinner with Alderley Edge Cricket Club.

He said: 

“When Farokh asked my dad if we could support his charity it was a no brainer.

“At our restaurant we are completely at the opposite end of the spectrum from homeless children but even so we can all do our little bit to help.”

Farokh said:

“I have been working with this charity for a long time and this is something very close to my heart.”

Frenchwoman Gaëlle Radigon is Joe’s partner in business as well as life. Gaëlle, who runs front of house at La Popote, has a background in fashion, marketing and communications as well as the restaurant world.

Ironically, when Joe was a schoolboy at Hillcrest Grammar School in Davenport, his cookery teacher told him he would never be good enough to become a chef.

That was long before Joe and Gaëlle spent more than nine years together working in Paris, Joe learning from the world’s finest chefs on the banks of the Seine.

Before that, Joe attended Gordon Ramsay’s Tante Marie cooking school.

*An Evening with Farokh Engineer" starts at 7.0pm on Friday July 25th.

For more information, visit: 

www.la-popote.co.uk 

...and click on food then cricket evening. 

To support the charity by booking for dinner phone:

01260 224785

...if out of hours, leave a message.

Pictured - Farokh Engineer in his prime as an Old Trafford legend.