OzHarvest CEO Cookoff Provides Food and Fun for Struggling Sydneysiders

It turns out that helping a community can be just as fun as it is rewarding. Just ask the top chefs and industry CEOs that will be participating in this year’s CEO CookOff, an OzHarvest event hosted at Carriageworks, Eveleigh in Sydney.

The CookOff, now in its fourth year, will help increase awareness about food insecurity, homelessness and food wastage in Australia—of which there is an astounding amount. Australians throw away between $8 and $10 billion of food every year: this equates to one of every five shopping bags, with each household chucking over $1,000 worth of groceries.

OzHarvest is doing its best to bring awareness to the waste problem by combatting it. The organization has saved over 10,000,000 kilos of surplus food, stopped more than 19,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from the landfill and over 1.4 mega litres of water from being wasted. And at the beginning of March, the event will help raise money to continue OzHarvest’s efforts, as well as money for other Australian charities.

Forty of Australia’s top chefs, with a combined 38 Chefs’ Hats awarded to their restaurants, will unite with more than 100 business leaders to cook for 1,000 vulnerable Sydneysiders.

This impressive list of chefs—including Matt Moran, Maggie Beer, Shannon Bennett and Peter Gilmore—will be assisting leaders such as Ernst & Young CEO Tony Johnson, Macquarie Head of Personal Banking Tony Graham, HOSTPLUS CEO David Elia, TFE Hotels CEO Rachel Argaman and TABCorp CEO David Attenborough through cooking a 3-course meal.

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 The meal will include a signature main course designed by each chef, to be plated up and served to guests by the CEOs. Desserts will be donated by award-winning Black Star Pastry and guests will also be treated to delectable Messina ice-cream alongside a cup of Vittoria coffee to finish.

“We know that poverty and food insecurity exists in this country and that two million Australians rely on food relief each year,” said Ronni Kahn, saidCEO and Founder of OzHarvest.

“As one of the wealthiest nations in the world, we must address these issues and do our bit to eliminate hunger and food waste. At this special event we are proud to see business leaders from all industries come together to support those in need and truly make an impact.”

Anyone can support the cause by donating to their favourite CEO or chef. Every $1 donated means that OzHarvest can deliver the equivalent of two meals. 

To donate, visit www.ceocookoff.com.au and sponsor a chef or CEO.

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