Turning a lifetime of recipes into a legacy for the RNLI

A former professional chef, Dorset telecoms business owner and RNLI volunteer has brought together decades of recipes in a new cookbook; creating a culinary legacy for his family while raising money for the lifesaving charity that has been close to his heart for almost a decade.

For Gary Buglass, food has always been about much more than following a recipe.

Long before he was running Swanage-based telecoms company Bipcom or volunteering as crew with RNLI Swanage, Gary was working in professional kitchens, learning his craft from award-winning chefs and building up a lifetime of recipes inspired by cuisines from around the world.

Now, he has brought those recipes together in The Life Savers Cookbook - a collection of approximately 87 recipes which has a very personal purpose: to leave something behind for his family while raising money for the RNLI, where Gary has volunteered for nearly ten years.

The £25 cookbook went on sale on 9 August 2026 and has already proved popular. By 20 August, Gary had sold 75 copies, including 25 in a single day. From his cash sales alone, he has already put aside £250 for the RNLI.

The book has also received the RNLI's official fundraising endorsement, with copies set to be available through the RNLI shop in Swanage as well as a number of independent local shops.

For Gary, however, the project is about both giving something back and preserving a part of his own history.

“I wanted to bring together the recipes I've collected and developed throughout my life and create something that my family could keep for generations, while also using it to support an organisation that means so much to me,” says Gary. “The RNLI has been a huge part of my life for nearly ten years, so being able to combine my passion for cooking with fundraising for the charity seemed like the perfect fit.”

Gary's culinary career began with his training at Birmingham College. He went on to work alongside award-winning chefs across the West Midlands, London and Oxford, gaining experience in English, French, Italian and Asian cuisine. He also entered the American Express Young Chef of the Year competition.

Although his career eventually moved away from professional kitchens - taking him through call centres and telecommunications, from operator and team leader to manager, operations manager, telecoms manager and ultimately company director - cooking never disappeared from his life.

That breadth of experience is reflected in the cookbook, with recipes spanning different styles and influences.
Gary's personal favourite is the Napoletana sauce, partly because of its versatility.

“It’s one of those recipes that can become so many different dishes, which is exactly what I love about cooking,” he explains. “And there’s a particularly good story behind the recipe on page 149 – but I think people will have to buy the book to find out what that is!”

Cooking for a cause

Gary expects around £5 - £7 from every sale to go to the RNLI. He is also taking the fundraising beyond the book itself, creating Yuk Sung and Beef Stroganoff cooking videos for the RNLI website.

There are plans for book signing events at Telehouse Serviced Offices in Bournemouth, House of Phaedra in Dorchester and The Purbeck Apothecary in Swanage, with dates still to be confirmed.

Gary is also keen to hear from local businesses that may be interested in purchasing a larger number of copies, whether as gifts for staff, clients or customers, or simply as another way of supporting the RNLI.
For someone whose career has taken him from professional kitchens to telecommunications and now onto a lifeboat, The Life Savers Cookbook brings many strands of Gary's life together in one very personal project.

And ultimately, every copy sold has the potential to help support the RNLI crews who, like Gary, give their time to help others.

The Life Savers Cookbook costs £25 and is available to purchase through Bipcom. https://www.bipcom.co.uk/product/the-life-savers-cookbook/

Copies will also be stocked at the RNLI shop in Swanage and selected independent shops.