Did you know that Australia’s first rescue food outlet has a flagship store in Kensington? Known as the Oz Harvest Market, this shop located at Anzac Parade takes food that would otherwise be thrown away by food outlets, hotels, supermarkets, and catering companies
Oz Harvest Market sells rescued food to the community or redistributes the edibles to the needy. There are volunteers who ensure that the food items collected are of quality and still fit for eating.
The Kensington store, which opened last April 2017, is located at the ground floor of the building owned by TOGA. The site of the former Addison Hotel, this was turned into a shelter for the homeless and TOGA has donated part of the ground floor for Oz Harvest Market’s operations.
The rescue food outlet is open to anyone looking to buy food supplies at a massive discount or to eat good food without having to pay so much money.
“If times are tough and you’re in need of food or other goods, you can take what you need,” Oz Harvest Market CEO and Founder Ronni Kahn said. “If you can give something, then please do, it could even be your time or skills.”
The goods sold at Oz Harvest Market have no price tag. Customers are open to giving what they can, knowing that the money will also go to charity.
Oz Harvest Market also sets up pop-ups and food trucks at other locations around Australia as a way to promote their services. This is where the money of consumers patronising the store goes.
In New South Wales, Oz Harvest Market stores and food trucks are also found in Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Sapphire Coast, Southern Highlands, Sydney, and Wagga Wagga.
Oz Harvest Market also mounts educational programs for primary school kids to teach them about food sustainability. In New South Wales, the first phase of the program, dubbed Feast, will roll out in schools this 2019.
The aim of Feast is to teach kids how to cook nutritious food, eat healthily, prevent food waste and protect the environment.
The Feast program will eventually be rolled out in primary schools in the rest of Australia by 2020.