New Zealand’s largest food rescue organisation, KiwiHarvest, honoured rescuing and redistributing 13 million kilos of food to Kiwis in need with a rescued lunch this week.
The total volume of food is the equivalent of over 29 million meals, bringing much-needed relief to vulnerable communities nationwide and significantly reducing carbon emissions entering the atmosphere.
The 13 Million Thanks event saw guests treated to a rescued lunch prepared and served by renowned KiwiHarvest Collective chefs, Michael Meredith (Mr Morris, Merediths, Metita), and Brent Martin (Park Hyatt, Onemata).
Hearty Soup & Bread
The lunch consisted of a hearty soup, created with high quality rescued kumara, carrots and onions, muffins created using rescued bread, and a grazing table of rescued meats, cheeses and crackers. Brent and Michael served the meals out of a food truck, highlighting how rescued food can be transformed into delicious and nutritious meals.
On designing the menu, Brent Martin said, “We wanted to showcase the bounty of rescued food by highlighting ingredients like kumara, carrots, onions, and bread. They all have a second life in these dishes and remind us of how important it is to make the most of what we have.”
Michael Meredith added, “As chefs, we see every day the waste that accumulates in the kitchen. Through our rescued lunch, we wanted to showcase the possibilities of surplus and rescued food.”
“We’re really proud to work with KiwiHarvest. 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.”
Critical levels of demand
Attendees included KiwiHarvest’s dedicated network of donors (270), recipients (220), volunteers, and staff who came together at the organisation’s East Tamaki warehouse to hear from founder, Deborah Manning, and Chief Executive, Angela Calver, about KiwiHarvest’s work over the past 12 years, and massive growth in the last year alone.
Angela Calver said, “We ended the last financial year delivering 34% more food to our recipient groups compared to the previous year, providing approximately $18 million (retail value) of food. This is against the odds as our funding has been significantly reduced and the demand for support in our most vulnerable communities has reached critical levels.”
“We desperately need 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.”
The celebration also saw the unveiling of generous operational donations to help KiwiHarvest continue their work. As well as trucks for their operations in Dunedin, Queenstown (funded by Impact 100 Wakatipu) and Invercargill (funded by Murihiku Rūnaka Rio Tinto), the Auckland branch has two new trucks with thanks to the Hugo, and Kelliher Charitable Trusts, and the loan of a brand new JAC electric truck. This will enable an increase in food delivery capacity and align with their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint. Fifty new Chep bins which have the capacity to store 200 tonnes more fresh produce have also been donated.
For more information about how to support KiwiHarvest, please visit https://www.kiwiharvest.org.nz/
