Mal Meiers, chef, founder, Food For Thought
The Food for Thought charity dinners raise money and generate discussion about a ‘higher cause’.
Since 2014, Melbourne chef Mal Meiers has, with the help of a talented group of young chefs, run the Food for Thought charity dinners, producing degustation events for “a higher cause,” as he puts it. The dinners, supported by Beer Deluxe, aim to raise awareness of the crippling effects of anxiety and depression in the community.
Is mental health and depression a particular issue in your industry? Yes, I believe so.
Why is that?In hospitality we see the effects of high pressure working environments and a just-deal-with-it attitude … the prevailing thinking is that if you don’t need to go to hospital you pretty much just get on with it. That can often lead to people suffering in silence and when you add to that the long working hours it can be very difficult to have a balanced lifestyle, with feelings of isolation often compounding the problem.
What has been your experience with mental health issues? Personally I have suffered from them myself and I’ve known others in similar situations. I’ve lost friends to suicide, which is why I thought I needed to be proactive about it. So, using my cooking skills as a starting point, I started seeking the support of friends to create an annual event that would help champion Beyondblue and raise awareness of the issues. Helping to bring about the possibility of change that might help just one person, a person that may have been in a similar position to myself, would make this initiative worthwhile.
Of the chefs involved, do any have a particular connection to the cause other than their compassion? Part of the conversation with all of the chefs involved was why they thought it was important to them personally for the dinner to happen. The consensus of the group was that the issue needs to be openly discussed, especially as some of them have experienced mental health issues, whether first-hand or within family. We all feel it’s necessary to bring to light an issue that is not usually understood or acknowledged within the industry.
Apart from raising money, what do you hope to achieve with the Food for Thought dinners? My hope is to help broaden the awareness about beyondblue and the support they provide throughout the industry and the community. Statistics like “In Australia the leading cause of death for males and females aged between 15 to 44 is suicide, with close to 8 people a day taking their own life” are quite alarming. Particularly when the facts show that 75 per cent of those are male. We need to encourage conversation and help break down the stigma surrounding mental health and to promote the fact there is help available and it’s OK to talk about it.
The Sydney Food for Thought dinner will be held November 14 at Beer Deluxe, King Street Wharf, and the Melbourne event November 21 at Beer Deluxe, Federation Square. More info here for Melbourne and Sydney.