Indian feed for those in need

AN upcoming festival is set to bring Indian food front and centre with the aim of raising funds for the homeless.

Hosted by members of the Ballarat Keralites’ Foundation of Australia, the event is called Taste of India: A Food Festival with a Purpose to Benefit the Homeless.

BFKA Public relations officer Navin Thomas said it will be about showcasing Indian cuisine to people while giving back to the region’s less fortunate.

“This is run as part of Harmony Festival but it’s more about sharing our culture,” he said.

“We’re from a state called Kerala and hospitality is a big part of Indian culture so we want to share our food with the community.”

Proceeds from the event will go towards the Ballarat SoupBus, where BFKA members cook every first Wednesday of the month.

The event will be the second food festival from BFKA following their 2022 event that saw about 350 attendees.

Mr Thomas said bringing food to the community is a key goal for the group.

“With the SoupBus, for example, we’ve been cooking for them for the past two to three years, and we cooked over 3500 meals for the people of Ballarat during COVID,” he said.

“We’ll have at least 30 people helping with the cooking for this one with qualified chefs from our community.”

The event will take place from 6pm to 8.30pm on Sunday, 19 March at St Patrick’s Hall.

Tickets range from $30 to $80 and can be booked at bit.ly/3mlNWwV.