Chefs Michael Meredith and Brent Martin served up an impressive rescue lunch.
Chefs Michael Meredith and Brent Martin served up an impressive rescue lunch.
Food rescue organisation KiwiHarvest celebrated the milestone of rescuing and redistributing 13 million kilograms of food to Kiwis in need with a rescued lunch last week.
The total volume of food is the equivalent of more than 29 million meals, bringing much-needed relief to vulnerable communities nationwide and significantly reducing harmful carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.
At the 13 Million Thanks event, guests were treated to a rescued lunch prepared and served by KiwiHarvest Collective chefs Michael Meredith (Mr Morris, Merediths, Metita) and Brent Martin (Park Hyatt, Onemata).
Attendees were treated to a lunch that consisted of a hearty soup created with high-quality rescued kūmara, carrots and onions, muffins created using rescued bread and a grazing table of rescued meats, cheeses and crackers.
Martin and Meredith served the meals from a food truck.
Meredith said that, as chefs, they saw the waste that accumulated every day in the kitchen.
“Through today’s rescued lunch, we wanted to showcase the possibilities of surplus and rescued food.
Meredith said the pair were proud to work with KiwiHarvest.
KiwiHarvest founder Deborah Manning.
“They contribute to a vital cause that not only addresses hunger in Aotearoa but also helps protect the environment.
“It’s a meaningful way to give back, and together we’re making a positive impact in the community.”
Attendees included KiwiHarvest’s dedicated network of donors (270), recipients (220), volunteers and staff who came together at the East Tāmaki warehouse to hear from founder Deborah Manning and chief executive Angela Calver about KiwiHarvest’s mahi over the past 12 years, and massive growth in the last year alone.
Calver said: “We ended the last financial year delivering 34% more food to our recipient groups compared to the previous, providing them with approximately $18 million [retail value] of food.
She said this was achieved “against the odds” as funding had been “significantly reduced” while demand had reached “critical levels”.
KiwiHarvest event guests enjoying the lunch created by chefs Michael Meredith and Brent Martin.
“We desperately need the Government to recognise the social, environmental and financial value that comes from food rescue – because as a country, we can’t afford to see these food insecurity levels continue to rise.”
Recent research from Hello Fresh found an estimated 9% of Kiwi households’ weekly food shops go to waste; equating to $1326 worth of food wasted per household per year.
KiwiHarvest also said its rescue operations mitigated the harmful gases released from food decomposing in landfills, which had avoided almost 35 million kilograms of CO2-equivalent from reaching the atmosphere.
