Thanks to funding from Healthy Heart of Victoria, we developed and launched Café for a Day early in 2022, an initiative which connects young people with local chefs to learn about healthy cooking and hospitality, by preparing and selling a meal from to learn about healthy cooking and hospitality, by preparing and selling a meal from a café space.
This free initiative, created in partnership with Hoo-gah café, Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services (LCMS) and Kangaroo Flat Community House, aimed to be Multicultural Services (LCMS) and Kangaroo Flat Community House, aimed to be fun and inclusive; helping to address workforce shortages in hospitality, allowing young people to develop food skills and be connected to healthy food.
Fifteen young people took part in the pilot across five sessions with four local chefs at Hoo-gah and the Gravel Hill Kitchen, and over 160 customers enjoyed lunch made by participants.
Participants received a food-handling certificate, and developed made by participants. The students developed kitchen, cooking and customer service skills helping them to be ‘work-ready’ and more confident applying for a job, particularly in the hospitality industry. They were connected with local employment agencies for pathway support.
Participants also learnt about healthy eating and food of different cuisines and cultures, and there was a high level of broader community involvement and interest, thanks to the project’s strong ‘social good’ factor.
This project has been funded for a further six sessions across 2022-2023 thanks to VicHealth.
