Kiwi Harvest, New Zealand’s largest food rescue organisation, distributed relief lunches this week to celebrate its work in salvaging and redistributing 13 million kilos of food to New Zealanders in need.
The total amount of food will amount to more than 29 million meals, providing much-needed relief to vulnerable communities across the country and significantly reducing carbon emissions released into the atmosphere.
of 13 million thanks At the event, guests were treated to a relief lunch prepared and served by renowned KiwiHarvest Collective chefs Michael Meredith (Mr Morris, Merediths, Metita) and Brent Martin (Park Hyatt, Onemata).
Hearty soup and bread
Lunch consisted of a hearty soup made with high-quality rescued kumara, carrots and onions, muffins made with rescued bread and a grazing table of rescued meats, cheeses and crackers. Brent and Michael served the meals from a food truck to highlight how rescued foods can be transformed into delicious and nutritious meals.
Speaking about the menu design, Brent Martin said: “We wanted to showcase the richness of rescued foods by highlighting ingredients like kumara, carrots, onions and bread. All of these ingredients take on a second life in these dishes, reminding us how important it is to make the most of what we have.”
Michael Meredith added: “As chefs, we see the waste that accumulates in our kitchens every day and through Rescued Lunch we wanted to showcase the potential of surplus and rescued food.”
“We’re really proud to be working with KiwiHarvest – they’re contributing to important work that not only tackles 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 our community.”
Critical levels of demand
Attendees included KiwiHarvest’s network of committed donors (270 people), beneficiaries (220 people), volunteers and staff, who gathered at the organisation’s East Tamaki warehouse to hear from founder Deborah Manning and CEO Angela Calver about KiwiHarvest’s work over the past 12 years and the significant growth it has seen in the last year alone.
“We delivered 34 percent more food to recipient groups last year than the previous year, providing approximately $18 million (at retail price) in food. This was against the odds, as our funding was significantly reduced and demand for our most vulnerable communities reached crisis levels,” said Angela Culver.
“We desperately need governments to recognise the social, environmental and economic value that can be derived from food relief because as a country we cannot sit idly by and watch as levels of food insecurity continue to rise.”
The celebration also saw the announcement of significant operating donations to help KiwiHarvest continue its work. In addition to trucks for operations in Dunedin, Queenstown (funded by Impact 100 Wakatipu) and Invercargill (funded by Murihiku Rūnaka Rio Tinto), the Auckland branch has received two new trucks, supported by the Hugo and Kelliher Charitable Trusts, as well as the loan of a brand new JAC electric truck, which will increase food delivery capacity and align with efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Additionally, 50 new Chep bins, capable of storing 200 tonnes of fresh produce, have been donated.
Find out more about how you can support KiwiHarvest here. https://www.kiwiharvest.org.nz/
