Although the National Convention Centre Canberra (NCCC) has closed its doors to the public as part of lockdown restrictions, the venue is keeping its kitchens open to help ensure Canberrans in need don’t go hungry.
This is done in partnership with OzHarvest Canberra, where every week, 500 individual meals are prepared by NCCC chefs on-site in the venue’s kitchen, which are then picked up by the OzHarvest van.
“During Covid restrictions, there’s a higher demand on our food, and there’s a reduction in the normal supply chain to the shopfronts and farmers that we normally rescue food from. So it puts us in a really tough situation. And when people are out of employment or are financially in tough positions, they rely on us for food,” said Belinda Barnier, Canberra city manager at OzHarvest.
OzHarvest is the country’s biggest food rescue organisation, diverting food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people in need. OzHarvest Canberra supplies food to 64 agencies and charities, which deliver meals to those who need them most. However, OzHarvest doesn’t have a kitchen nor workforce, which is where NCCC steps in.
NCCC executive chef Nikhil Jain said meal recipients can expect the same high quality of food that event guests enjoy. The chef-prepared, home-style meals are made with fresh produce, with a range of dishes including pasta, curries, stews and vegetables.
Aside from supporting this community initiative, Jain shared that the project is also beneficial for the kitchen team at a time when the kitchen would usually be closed.
“At the same time, it means that everyone in our kitchen team is getting around two shifts a week, which is great for everyone’s mental health.”
NCCC, part of IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), has supported OzHarvest for 14 years in the areas of food sustainability, food insecurity and hospitality skills investment, and all excess food from event catering is donated to the organisation.
