Pour One Out for the British Ad Community’s Annual Soup Off

It’s like Fight Club. But with soup. 

In an industry obsessed with awards, London’s annual advertising Soup Off is possibly the most fiercely contested competition of the lot. Each year in December, obsessed amateur chefs turn up to the Sutton Arms in London to battle it out.

It’s not just about deciding who makes the best bisque, the Soup Off is also a forum in which to hash out one of life’s biggest questions. Where does one draw the line between a soup and a stew? 

This year, though, huddling in a busy pub sharing out soups did not seem like the best idea against the background of Covid-19. But while the event has been cancelled, the organisers are still gamely raising money for arts charity Create. To raise awareness, they’ve made one of their annual Soup Off films, though this time they’re commiserating over the cancellation in a story that combines mafia movie inspirations and a healthy dose of EastEnders. The film was directed by Mickey Brooks and stars Mickey alongside Kevin Smith, John Hodges, Nicky Russell, Mike McKenna and Tilly Brooks. It was produced by Alumina Studios, with the grade from Tag Collective Arts. Oliver Gerrie edited and was DoP, Daniel Hurst operated the boom, Gurdeep Singh did the sound design, animation was by Ade Walker, and titles and props were by Kappo & Toddy. Watch the film here.

Donate to Create here. Create is a charity that empowers lives through the creative arts, taking arts education to marginalised and underserved communities.