Food Link meals aids caterers hit by virus lockdown and those in need

This idea brought together two groups in need of help during the lockdown.

IT DID not take long for the coronavirus lockdowns to hit Ineka Rowe’s catering business in Shepparton hard.

“I was in tears when it first happened. We lost $40,000 worth of catering in one day,” says Ineka, who runs The Little Gourmet Food Company in Shepparton with her husband Adrian.

“It was horrendous because everyone was cancelling because of the restrictions and everything was shutting down.”

But an idea from another local helped create vital work opportunities for catering and food businesses across Shepparton, including Ineka’s, and at the same time provide meals to those in need.

Amy De Paola, who works at Goulburn Valley Grammar School, says she was glued to the news during the first week when restrictions were announced.

“There were a lot of stories about weddings that were being cancelled and also the flow-on effect to catering companies and the wedding industry,” she says. “And they were often followed up with stories about Food Share and Food Bank agencies who were struggling to get a supply of stock, and they were foreseeing there was going to be an increase in demand.

“To me, it seemed like, why don’t we put these two groups together? If we raise the funds to pay catering companies and eateries to make meals, we can then donate them to people who need them under the circumstances, particularly with people losing their jobs.”

Linking up: The Little Gourmet Food Company’s Ineka Rowe and Food Link’s Amy De Paola. Picture: Chloe Smith

Amy started working with Greater Shepparton Foundation, which helped co-ordinate the plan and fundraising. Having seen the implications of fundraising for victims of last summer’s bushfires, Amy says working with the foundation meant quick access to the money they raised.

Greater Shepparton Foundation kicked off the fundraising with $5000, which was matched by the Fairley Foundation. Since April 9, Greater Shepparton Foundation says public donations have exceeded $30,000.

And so far, according to the foundation, Food Link has provided 2900 meals to those experiencing food insecurity or in family distress, and spent more than $32,000 with nine local businesses over the past 12 weeks.

Once the logistics of cooking, packaging and delivery was sorted, the number of businesses involved started to grow.

And the ready-to-eat meals they made have been delivered through agencies including FamilyCare, Shepparton Family and Financial Services and Life Op Shop Mooroopna, as well as several kinder and primary schools.

“It was nice to be able to support both of those groups (businesses and welfare groups), and then obviously the final result was that someone in need got that meal at the end of the day,” Amy says.

Idea: Food Link’s Amy De Paola. Picture: Chloe Smith.

Ineka opened The Little Gourmet Food Company about 14 years ago. As well as catering and wholesale, they also have two cafes.

“Amy rang me and I was sitting on the couch watching TV. We had no work. Our manufacturing kitchen was closed down, and we were working, I think, 12 hours a week,” Ineka says. “It’s been fantastic because it can pay for the power and gas and rent, because you still have to pay for all that.

“What’s good with Food Link is they’ve been sharing it around to everyone … lots of different businesses are all getting a little bit of this money that has been donated to the local community to pay for food for the needy.

“And it gave our staff at the start of COVID something to do, which was great.”

Ineka says they made about 50 meals a week, and more than 400 in total.

Another of the businesses that has worked with Food Link is Shepparton Brewery, which opened in April last year. Owner Daina Winch says they closed when the lockdowns started, deciding it would be cheaper to shut down rather than do takeaways. A canning machine for their beer ordered in February is en route, so they had no option to sell their own beer as takeaway, regardless.

“Food Links contacted us to see if we would do 100 meals. By then our staff not only needed money, but were also bored stupid being stuck in their houses,” she says.

“I think we did two lots of 100 to start with, so that gave them a day’s work, and it wasn’t about the business making any money, it was about giving them some work and some money for them to get to their families.”

The brewery later ran a pop-up, to test-run takeaway and give staff some more hours. They also pledged to donate a meal to Food Link for every meal they sold. The next week, they donated 100 meals.

Amy says funds will “probably determine the long-term aspects” of the program, but says it was great to get out into the community and also see how the agencies tackle the issues they do.

“I’m pretty proud of what we’ve been able to do,” she says.

“I love the community aspect of it and … to be able to make that connection and to be able to raise funds and make it happen. The idea has just been so well received and everyone has benefited so it’s very rewarding to have something that is such a win-win-win situation.”

MORE COUNTRY LIVING

SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS AT SCOTSBURN FARM

LIFE MOUNTED ON BLIND FAITH

HEALTHY GREENS GROWN AT HOME