Sponsored content provided by OzHarvest
OzHarvest is Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, dedicated to stopping good food from going to waste and delivering it to charities supporting people in need. Every day, our iconic yellow vans and trucks collect quality surplus food from supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, corporate kitchens, hotels, airlines and more—ensuring it gets to the people who need it most.
But OzHarvest does much more than rescue food. From education to innovation, events to community dining, our mission is to ‘Nourish our Country,’ and that means tackling food waste at every level of society.
A National Crisis on Our Doorstep
More Australians than ever are struggling to access enough food. In fact, 77% of the charities OzHarvest supports have seen demand rise in the past six months—and nearly one-third of those seeking food relief are doing so for the first time.
Single parents and families are among the hardest hit, as rising living costs and housing pressures continue to impact households. Despite delivering more than 500,000 meals every week, over 1,200 charities are still on OzHarvest’s waiting list for food support.
At the same time, Australia wastes around 7.6 million tonnes of food each year. Shockingly, 70% of that is still edible. When food ends up in landfill, it rots and releases methane—a potent greenhouse gas more harmful than carbon dioxide. Globally, food waste causes roughly 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions—four times more than the entire aviation industry.
That’s why all surplus food from Fine Food Australia is being rescued and donated to OzHarvest. Feeding people instead of landfill is not just a moral choice—it’s a powerful climate solution.
Education and Advocacy: Inspiring Change
OzHarvest understands that long-term change starts with knowledge. That’s why OzHarvest runs education programs that teach kids, teens, and adults how to cook nutritious meals, reduce food waste, and make positive food choices. OzHarvest also advocates at every level—from household behaviour to national food policy—to drive systemic change and inspire a culture that values food and its impact.
Innovation That Feeds Change
OzHarvest’s commitment to impact goes beyond food rescue. OzHarvest Ventures was created in 2023 to explore innovative ideas that could help to keep OzHarvest’s wheels turning, while constantly looking for new ways to address the environmental and social challenges of our time through sustainable commercial business models.
Their first launch, Conscious Drink, is a premium, alcohol-free sparkling beverage created in collaboration with Indigenous-owned Kakadu Kitchen. It’s crafted using fresh, rescued blueberries from Northern NSW that would otherwise go to waste. The blend also features native Australian botanicals including lemongrass, saltbush, and pepperberry.
Every bottle of Conscious Drink helps provide two meals for people in need. Proceeds also support Kakadu Kitchen’s work promoting biodiversity, food security, and edible native plants in remote Indigenous communities. The artwork on each bottle label was created by emerging Bininj artist Trentin Rasmussen, celebrating the connection to Country and culture.
With its bold flavour and deeper purpose, Conscious Drink offers a mindful, meaningful way to enjoy a refreshment—and make a real difference. It’s food rescue, reimagined.
Cooking for a Cause: Purpose on a Plate
OzHarvest’s Cooking for a Cause program invites corporate teams and food service professionals into their kitchens for a hands-on, purpose-driven experience. Participants use rescued ingredients to cook fresh, nutritious meals for people in need.
It’s more than team-building. It’s a powerful reminder of food’s potential to connect, uplift and nourish. Alongside learning practical ways to reduce waste, participants experience firsthand how simple acts—like chopping vegetables or packing meals—can have a profound impact.
This is purpose on a plate, and for those in hospitality, it’s a unique opportunity to give back in a way that feels both meaningful and relevant.
Hospitality, Reimagined: Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney
At the heart of OzHarvest’s belief in the power of food is Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney—a unique dining space in Surry Hills that’s redefining hospitality with heart. Created in partnership with world-renowned chef Massimo Bottura and his charity Food for Soul, the Refettorio serves as a restaurant with a difference.
During the day, the Refetorrio serves as a unique community space where people in need are welcome to come in and enjoy a free nourishing lunch prepared by OzHarvest chefs and served by wonderful volunteers. Over 300 customers enjoy this beautiful dining experience each week, and they say it’s so much more than a meal; it’s about conversations, comfort, connections, and community.
Every Thursday evening, the Refettorio opens to the public for Pay It Forward Dinners. These immersive dining experiences allow paying guests to directly fund meals for others, with every ticket helping sustain the project and support those doing it tough.
The Refettorio challenges us to imagine a different kind of hospitality—one where the most vulnerable are treated as honoured guests, and food becomes a bridge to belonging.
A Call to the Food Industry
OzHarvest’s work has always been deeply connected to the food industry. From chefs and suppliers to producers and event organisers, everyone has a role to play in reducing food waste and supporting food security.
Fine Food Australia is proud to support OzHarvest—to ensure every leftover ingredient is put to good use. Together, we can ensure no good food goes to waste, and no one goes hungry.
Food is far too valuable to waste—socially, environmentally, and economically. Every tray of leftovers, every surplus pallet, every over-ordered order is an opportunity to make a difference.
The Power of Food in the Right Hands
OzHarvest’s mission is simple: to ‘Nourish our Country.’ From product innovation to circular solutions, from community dining to national education, OzHarvest uses food as a tool for social change and invites others to do the same.
Because when food ends up in the right hands, it doesn’t just feed people. It brings people together. In the hands of those who care, food can change lives.