160th Hospices de Beaune auction to go ahead

The Hospices de Beaune has announced that the 160th annual charity auction will be going ahead on 15 November this year, with private buyers invited to bid by phone or online.

The auction will be hosted by Christie’s in the Halles de Beaune as usual and there will be spaces available in situ for professional buyers to attend in a safe manner, while private buyers can bid via phone or online.

Thos attending in person will have to follow a strict protocol, registering in advance and arriving in good time, wearing a mask at all times (which they must change after four hours), washing their hands on arrival, going directly to their allotted seat, maintaining social distancing and limiting their movements once in the hall.

The mayor of Beaune, Alain Suguenot, and director of the Hospices Civils de Beaune, François Poher, said in a joint statement: “The health context in which we are operating gives this anniversary sale an unprecedented symbolic significance. The commitment and courage of the hospital workers, mobilised on the front line to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, make it possible to respond to the health needs of the population, and to get through this crisis, exceptional in its scope and duration.

“All French hospital workers are expecting the sale to continue with professionals present under the Halles. The profits from the sale of the 2020 charity barrel will be used to finance exceptional non-refundable grants related to Covid-19 for hospital patients who have been severely impacted by the health crisis, as well as for the children of deceased agents.

“The Burgundy wine houses have been mobilised for several months for this exceptional sale. Its holding and the auction will also show the world that our country and Burgundy continue to work and produce.”

READ MORE: This year’s ‘President’s Barrel’ to raise funds for hospital workers