Social enterprise dishes up lunch

TUCKED at the end of Tuppen Drive, Sebastopol, Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre and kitchen garden could easily be missed.

However, those in the know make their way to the centre on the second and last Friday of the month to enjoy a two-course chef-cooked community lunch for $9 at its Our Kitchen Social Enterprise.

There is always a meat and vegetarian option, with vegetables and herbs from the kitchen garden adding a local flavour, followed with a yummy dessert.

Our Kitchen is a catering social enterprise, servicing local community members, organisations and businesses.

The multicultural menu uses fresh produce, from its on-site kitchen garden and from SecondBite rescued food.

There is a focus on using low sugar and fat recipes, and all products are made from scratch in the neighbourhood centre’s professionally equipped kitchen.

Established in April 2017 with funding from the Department of Education & Training and City of Ballarat, Our Kitchen Social Enterprise started as a two day per week, 16-week employability skills development course, called Enterprising Communities.

In 2018, Enterprising Communities was restructured to became Cooking up Jobs adding a 16-week Commercial Kitchen Skills course and hospitality training.

“The course is designed to equip long term unemployed with skills to get them back into the workforce,” said Vicki Coltman, Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre’s executive officer.

“Not just hospitality skills but the participants learn about teamwork and communication skills in practical learning elements.”

Our Kitchen Social Enterprise employees three staff including a fulltime chef who works with the class of six to eight students.

“The course has a 45 per cent success rate with students, unemployed for six months or more, getting a job at the end of the course,” Ms Coltman.

19-year-old Jacob Sheedy, completed the course last year gaining an apprenticeship at Wendouree’s Bakers Delight, also volunteers when possible in the kitchen on community lunch days.

Mr Sheedy, delighted with his new job, said “The course helped me with my organisation skills and with working with people a kitchen.”

Chef Kate Mirvis, praises the people who attend the course saying, “16 weeks is a big commitment for most people and it takes courage to do a class like this when they may have been out of work for a long time.”

Community Lunches are held on the second and fourth Friday of the month at Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre, 11 Tuppen Drive, Sebastopol from 12pm to 1pm.

Our Kitchen operates Monday and Friday 9am to 2pm, excluding public holidays, at the Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre located in the Ballarat South Community Hub commercial kitchen.