History

BACK STORY
The original CwaC idea was dreamed up by a few pesto-pioneers while basking in some good reviews of a once-off catering gig in mid-2005.

So we rallied a very informal collective of foodie-activist volunteers who wanted to devote some spare time to whipping up ethics-driven feasts for NGOs. Fuelled only by imagination and a few after-hours e-mails in 2005, we were soon in “business” and literally reeling with the amount of interest generated.

In the next three months, Cooks with a Conscience enjoyed a steep learning curve while we presented our first client events (mostly several courses for around 100 people) + our own launch. The grapevine quickly generated a database of over 70 volunteers and we began fielding all sorts of weird and wonderful requests.

And in case you think “we” are some monolithic organising committee, actually all the admin was being done by Principal Peanut (Katrina) helped only by my beloved (Cameron).

So we suddenly found ourselves managing a very robust and busy catering outfit, on top of a full time day-jobs – with no staff, no office, no funding and … did I mention … no kitchen (!)


BOILING POINT
It was very exciting, but also a bit overwhelming as the requests and questions poured in. We even hit the papers twice.

Even though we had been operating for a ridiculously brief time, in those first three months we knocked back about eight engagements we simply didn’t have time for.

And just responding to phone calls and midnight e-mails was keeping me sleepless.

And the sheer scale of some of the events we were asked to quote for really demanded something a bit more organised.

In short, it quickly got unmanageable as an after hours hobby.

But it also seemed way too ripe and delicious to wind up, because it no longer fitted neatly into the larder of our lives.

And having had that first taste, I was finding myself alarmingly more interested in CwaC activities than the day-job which paid the bills (opps…)

Basically, I was hooked on creating beautiful, sustainable food and finding it hard to ignore the OTHER foodie-project ideas wafting from the kitchen.


MARINATING
So, late last 2005 we slid CwaC to the back-burner while we let the possibilities marinate.

We tried appealing for other people to actually help manage / take responsibility for events, but failed to get the bites we were after.

What to do?

• Should we just compost the infant organisation?
• Limp on, knocking back big events and accepting wonky operating conditions?
• Incorporate and apply for funding?
  

Choices, choices.

TOMORROW’S MENU
By 2006, people had begun to ask what was going on and if CwaC would be continuing?

Well… after much deliberation, we are delighted to announce that we finally bit the (organic, vegetarian) bullet and CwaC founder Katrina quit her day job to nurture this baby full time.

This means that CwaC is evolving into Source Foods.

Source Foods is a professional foodie-events company, and new eco-cafe opening in Northbridge / Highgate in early 2007.

Source will incorporate all the same sustainability values but will operate much more professionally and diversify into other services.

So CwaC is currently in recess while we establish Source Foods: our new eco-cafe and sustainable catering company. See www.sourcefoods.com.au if you're interested.

The information on this site regarding CwaC is for historical purposes only.

However, if you are still interested in the CwaC concept and would like to receive info about upcoming foodie events and opportunities, please contact us and ask to be added to our database.

The story continues...