Inclusive Eats is a not-for-profit social enterprise born from something that became increasingly clear at disability service provider Witmore: hospitality is a strong area of interest for people living with a disability. Inclusive Eats provides local supported employment opportunities and a sense of belonging.
Witmore CEO Rachel Baigent said the idea stemmed from their work at the Riverside Kiosk at Singleton and seeing just how much their participants loved being part of it.
“We started the kiosk with one worker and two participants and before we knew it, we were operating seven days a week with more and more participants wanting to take part.
“People with a disability love working in hospitality. I think because when they were at school hospitality was a subject that was really open to all different abilities. They all love cooking, following recipes and serving what they’ve created to others.
“We ended up having more people wanting to work in hospitality than our workshop so we came up with Inclusive Eats. Instead of buying things from people or other businesses for the Riverside Kiosk, we built our own commercial kitchen so we could cook our own food and sell it to the public.
“We upgraded our kitchen at Witmore to a commercial grade thanks to Glencore and everyone has all the appropriate certifications to cook,” Rachel explained.
Since launching last year, Inclusive Eats now offers a range of catering options for the community, from fresh platters for private events to canteen management like at the Singleton Rugby Union Club.
“The platters can be easily replicated. We’ve designed them so clients can easily replicate them with the help of a cook we have employed in the kitchen.
“The benefit of using our service over someone else is that we’re a not-for-profit registered charity so whatever profit we make gets absorbed back into here and keeps people with a disability employed.
“We are continuing to grow, but we need the buy in from the community to purchase our products so we can keep growing and keep our amazing people employed.
“The participants love it. If they’ve cooked something they bring it to you and the pride on their faces is incredible. That’s where the joy comes for us. Seeing their confidence grow and that sense of belonging when they gain employment and learn new skills every week,” Rachel said.
| To find out more and order from Inclusive Eats, head to: https://inclusiveeats.com.au/ |
