Classic French-trained Chef Terri Taylor, a member of the Rotary Club of Burleigh Heads, Qld, was an early adopter of the no waste movement.
“One of my first jobs as an apprentice chef was trimming strawberries,” says Terri. “The chef wasn’t happy with me as I had thrown out the equivalent of one punnet of strawberries for every four I had trimmed. It was money thrown in the bin.
“Early lessons like this gave me a no wastage mentality.”
PICTURED: Burleigh Heads Rotarian Chef Terri Taylor volunteers at OzHarvest, heading up its Cooking for a Cause program on the Gold Coast.
Following a successful career as a chef, which included opening and running her own cooking school in the Gold Coast Hinterland, Terri moved to the Gold Coast’s glitter strip and discovered OzHarvest.
Founded by Ronni Kahn AO in 2004 after noticing the huge volume of food going to waste, OzHarvest quickly grew to become Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, with a driving purpose to ‘Nourish our Country’.
A dedicated team of nearly 300 staff and more than 3,000 volunteers share Ronni’s devotion for the cause; on a mission to stop food waste, feed people in need, and protect our planet by championing the value of food and driving change at all levels of society.
Best known for its iconic yellow food rescue vans – which save more than 250 tonnes of good food every week from more than 2,600 food donors and deliver it direct to more than 1,500 charities that feed people in need – the company’s values of generosity and inclusiveness were an instant appeal to Terri, who now runs the OzHarvest Cooking for a Cause program on the Gold Coast.
“OzHarvest was easy for me to identify with – there was perfectly good food going to waste; almost half of the fruit and vegetables grown end up in landfill and one quarter of the world’s water is wasted on food that won’t be eaten. And yet people are going hungry. “OzHarvest provided a solution.
“When I closed the cooking school, I had plenty of spare time, so I volunteered straight away.”
PICTURED: Gold Coast Passport Rotary Club members Brooke Gibson and Nico Valenzuela took part in the Cooking for a Cause program.
The Cooking for a Cause program is a unique hands-on team building activity open to corporate groups. Led by phenomenal OzHarvest chefs like Terri, teams get busy in the kitchen over a three-hour period, transforming rescued food into restaurant quality meals that are then delivered directly to local disadvantaged communities.
“You get to see the results of your efforts straight away. The food that is rescued and prepared is distributed, and clients are enjoying a nutritious meal straight away,” says Terri.
“The program is tax deductible, fits in with companies’ corporate responsibility requirements, and is fun and educational, with participants receiving some great cooking tips on how to save money and prepare delicious meals.
“The revenue from this program keeps our vans on the road, picking up the produce and delivering it to charities.”
PICTURED: Gold Coast Passport Rotary Club member Angel Grace helped whip up delicious meals for those in need.
A number of Rotary clubs and Rotary business owners have taken part in Cooking for a Cause, including the Gold Coast Passport Rotary Club. Members donned their yellow aprons and chef’s knives earlier this year and delved into the world of zero-waste cooking, learning valuable skills while transforming rescued ingredients into gourmet meals.
“Rotarians have become regular volunteers, assisting with the van runs and community gardens,” says Terri. “Equipment has also been shared for catering events and Rotary Youth Exchange Students have enthusiastically helped cook meals for the charities.”
For more information on the OzHarvest Cooking for a Cause program, visit www.ozharvest.org/cooking-for-a-cause/
MAIN PICTURE: Members of the Gold Coast Passport Rotary Club took part in Terri’s Cooking for a Cause program earlier this year, when they delved into the world of zero-waste cooking.