Australian Gourmet Traveller - (11)November 2020 (1)

ADAMLISTON+ SHOBOSHO

It wasanimpassionedsocialmedia

calloutfromShoboshoheadchef

AdamListonthathelpedprompt

theShoboshoteamintotwo

community-focusedcooking

projects.Theteamtookover

lunchservicedutiesatAdelaide’s

WestCareCentre,wheremany

ofthecookswere60-plusand

unabletokeepvolunteering

duringlockdown.Liston’steam

alsotemporarilytransformed

ShoboshointoDrSho,usingtheir

culinaryskillstoprepnourishing

mealsexclusivelyforhealthcare

professionals.Whiletherestaurant

hasreturnedtoregulartrading,

Listonreflectsonthedifficulttime

andhowhisteamralliedtogether,

positively.“Itwasrewarding,”he

says.“Wedidn’tdoit forfame,

we just wanted to keep busy.”

JESSISINGH

ChefandrestaurateurJessi

Singhhandedoverthereins

ofhisnewlyopenedMrBrownie

RooftopHotelinMelbourneto

chefs,winemakersandother

hospitalityfolkthatneeded

a spacetoselltheirwares

(allrent-andcommission-free).

Singhalsodeliveredmealstothe

StVincent’sHospitalemergency

departmentandsentmealsto

nursesandhealthcareworkers

whowerestuckinquarantine.

HOJIAKGIVESBACK

TheTownHalloutpostofthis

excellentMalaysianeateryin

Sydneyofferedfreeandlow-cost

takeawaymealstohospitality

workersineligibleforJobKeeper.

Thisisn’tthefirstiterationofthe

restaurant’sHoJiakGivesBack

initiative;earlierintheyearthe

teamraisedmorethan$20,000

fortheRuralFireService.

COVID-19EAD

BarownersJasonChan

(Seamstress)andHenryLe(Ends

& Means)andchefJezBerwick

startedtheCovid-19Employee

AssistanceDirective(EAD)asa

waytokeeptheirstood-downstaff

fed,butit quicklygrew,morphing

intoa volunteer-staffed,donation-

fundedquasi-outreachprogram

fortheVictorianhospitalityindustry

that has been pumping out up to

HOPEDELIVERY

NeilPerryofficiallyretiredfromRockpoolDiningGroupin Julybutremains

inservicethankstohisHopeDeliveryinitiative.Thesocialenterprise

launchedin March,creatingrestaurant-standardmealsforthosein need

• fromthehomelessandunemployedtomigrantworkersineligiblefor
  JobKeeperandJobSeeker.PartneringwithOzHarvesttodistributemeals,
  aswellashandingthemouttopeopleinthestreetinSydneyand
  Melbourne,HopeDeliveryhassharedmorethan200,000mealssince
  it launched– andis stillgoingstrong.AsPerrytoldGTinSeptember:
  “Arestaurantbelongstothecommunity,andpartofbeingin a community
  is takingcareofpeoplewhoarelessprivileged.”Perryhascertainly
  steppeduptothemark,bothmanningthepanstocookforHopeDelivery
  andworkingthephonestoraisefundstokeeptheinitiativegoing.

3000 mealsa week.IainLing(TheLincoln)andJason

Lui(FlowerDrum)arealsoonboard,adding further

ballasttotheaward-winninginitiative.

BANKSIASOUPKITCHEN

InspiredbyhisworkwithfoodcharityOzHarvest,chef

andrestaurateurColinFassnidgeandhisteamfrom

BanksiaBistroinSydney’ssouthsupportedfamilies

intheirlocalcommunitybysupplyingthousandsof

freemealstothosedoingit toughduringlockdown.

Theprojecthascontinuedwellbeyond lockdown

intothelatterhalfof this year.

OPENKITCHEN

ThisinitiativefromMilieuHospitality,thepeople

behindCongress,FutureFutureandLagotto

restaurantsinMelbourne,wassetuptohelpfeed

hospoworkerswholosttheirjobsorwerefacing

drasticallyreducedhours,andwereineligiblefor

Governmentassistance.Bycorallinga groupof

like-mindedsponsors,OpenKitchenhasbeenable

tosupplyfreevegetarianmealstwicea weeksince

Mayusinganinnovativeticketingsystemwith

allocated collection times to ensure social distancing.

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52 GOURMET TRAVELLER

PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CHEN (QUAY), TJ EDWARDS (NEIL PERRY).