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With 37 soups on offer and almost 100 volunteers to hand them out to cold and hungry islanders, this year's Soup Kitchen raised £20,000 for a local homelessness charity.
The Shelter Trust's treasurer Richard Robins, who organises the annual event, said that the charity had also been promised more donations which might help them break their fundraising record.
He said: "We're really, really pleased to have raised £20,000 and we know there are more donations to come.
"It was a great event, and to get 37 hospitality venues to provide soup was more that we could have expected in this economic climate at the moment.
"We're really grateful to them and really grateful to our sponsors, LGT Wealth Management, for supporting our silver anniversary."
Mr Robins added that on top of the hospitality venues providing the soups, 92 volunteers and corporate teams had given some of their time during the four-hour event in the Royal Square on Tuesday.
Pictured: Jen Cullen and her mum Elaine Lawless at the Soup Kitchen. (Jon Guegan)
The Shelter Trust has organised the Soup Kitchen annually since 1999, serving soups cooked by community groups and hospitality venues around the island in exchange for a £3 donation.
This year's offerings included borscht prepared by the island's Ukrainian community, Moroccan harira from The Moorings, as well as comfort-food classics like lentil and vegetable soup courtesy of the Pomme d'Or Hotel.
The Shelter Trust celebrated the 25th edition of the Soup Kitchen this year, with the idea for the event coming from charity supporter Michelle Cuthbert in 1999.
Michelle – who has to date raised more than £220,000 for the charity – heard a radio interview with the Shelter Trust's director John Hodge which inspired her to create a Soup Kitchen with a difference.
On Tuesday 7 December 1999, five soups donated by top hotels were served from a small stall in the Royal Square to members of the public in return for a donation.
The first event not only increased awareness of homelessness but also raised £1,300 for the homelessness charity.
Growing from strength to strength, 37 soups were served this year raising £20,000.
Michelle said: “When I look back at the birth of the Soup Kitchen in 1999, with 5 soups on a table in the Royal Square, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that it would grow so quickly and raise as much money and awareness of the homeless as it has.”
The funds raised go towards supporting Shelter Trust, which supports an average of 600 people every year.
They help homeless people in the island, providing both accommodation and support services that aim to get them off the streets.
You can donate through the charity's JustGiving page HERE.
Pictured top: Pat and Dave Dorgan were among those enjoying a steamy pot of soup on Tuesday. (Jon Guegan)
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