By Sarah Burt
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is proud to be supporting OzHarvest’s Cooking for a Cause program.
The venue is partnering with OzHarvest to help deliver their Cooking For A Cause program by hosting the 
sessions in the MCEC commercial kitchens three days a week.
The popular team engagement program is led by OzHarvest chefs, who share their zero-waste cooking skills as they help corporate teams transform quality rescued food into hundreds of delicious and nutritious meals that OzHarvest then to deliver to local charities.
Chief Executive MCEC Peter King said it is the ideal partnership for the organisation. “At MCEC we are passionate about sustainability and being community-minded. OzHarvest’s Cooking for a Cause gives us the opportunity to tie all of that together with a team-building aspect, too. The events industry can contribute a lot of food waste, so this is the perfect way to try and reverse that cycle and give back to those in Melbourne who need it most.”
Bernado Tobias, OzHarvest Victoria State Manager, expressed his gratitude to MCEC. “A huge thank you goes to MCEC for their incredible support and providing their wonderful venue to host our program. This comes at such an important time as we are now finally out of lockdown. Cooking for a Cause is the perfect way for corporate teams to reconnect with each other in a fun and meaningful way. You get to see your impact immediately through the number of meals cooked and, of course, you get a taster too!”
Globally, one third of all food produced is wasted, with one in every six Australian’s experiencing food insecurity. The program highlights the national issues of food waste and hunger as well as OzHarvest’s vision and work for change.
Supporting the UN Sustainability Goals, OzHarvest is committed to halving food waste by 2030, while MCEC has developed an ambitious five-year sustainability strategy which seeks to achieve zero food waste by 2025.
Sarah Burt is Media and Content Specialist at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
