Under the banner of the Great Dolmio Cookoff, Dolmio, Sodexo, and Foodbank donned aprons and cooked more than 9000 meals for people in need to raise awareness of food insecurity on World Food Day (16 October). The trio more than surpassed their target of 5000 meals.
Dolmio’s R&D kitchen at its Central Coast production facility was used for the cookoff, with more than 100 members of the Dolmio team, along with staff from Sodexo, volunteering time. It was a repeat performance as the three companies had also joined forces in 2022 for a week-long cookoff.
Around 20 charity partners within Foodbank Australia’s network distributed the meals directly to people in need of food relief.
Mars Food & Nutrition Australia GM Bill Heague said he knew the importance of helping to put food on tables.
"Our best loved brands like Dolmio have been helping Australian’s to make meals for over 75 years – based here on the Central Coast. Dolmio is all about helping to inspire the small touches that can bring joy to our day-to-day lives. For many of us, that comes through the food we eat and who we eat it with – and that connection is something everyone should get to enjoy.
“Sadly there are an increasing number of Australians, including in our own Central Coast, who are struggling with food insecurity. That’s why we are joining forces again with our generous partners to provide healthy cooked meals for people in need in our local community” said Heague.
Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, said the organisation has never seen such a high demand for food relief.
“We could not do what we do without the support of our generous donors like Mars Food Australia and Sodexo who continue to help us get meals to where it’s needed in many communities throughout the country,” Casey said.
Sodexo, an integrated facilities management services company with a base on the Central Coast, provided support services and the key ingredients for the cookoff.
Sodexo Australia MD Keith Weston said the partnership built upon its global Stop Hunger initiative to address food insecurity and malnutrition.
“In Australia alone, two million households experienced severe food insecurity in the last year. With this figure set to rise with the increased cost of living and inflation on everyday household goods, it is important that we act today to deliver a better tomorrow for our communities.
“Our mission is to improve quality of life through our services, and we believe that quality of life only begins when basic needs are met. This annual event demonstrates tangible actions we can take to enhance the lives of our communities through collaboration and shared social responsibility,” said Weston.
The teams are cooking balanced meals with fresh ingredients including Dolmio Bolognese, MasterFoods Honey BBQ chicken and MasterFoods Beef Stroganoff.
