Cooks with a Conscience

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2009-11-22T13:01:00.000+08:00

Welcome to the Cooks with a Conscience webpage.

NEWSFLASH March 2007

The original Cooks with a Conscience idea has now grown into a full time eco-cafe and catering company called Source Foods.

www.sourcefoods.com.au

Source draws upon the same values and sustainability principles as CwaC - but is seeking to reach a wider community through the cafe and commercial opperations.

For this reason CwaC as a voluntary project is currently in recess. You can still explore our website and resources and learn about our story and foodie issues - but our activities are currently being absorbed into Source Foods.

CwaC may re-emerge in the future in it's orginal form, but for now we are focusing our energies on the new business.

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.

We are leaving the old CwaC information here for historical purposes. Here it is:

CwaC is all about activism for the tastebuds!

We offer eco-catering and foodie adventures in Perth, Western Australia.

But can group catering really
respect the earth, nourish the soul,
meet the budget and still impress the masses?

We created CwaC because we thought it might be fun to find out!

Please use the menu on the right to cruise around this site to find out more about us. If you are planning or promoting your own event, check out our FREE resource pages:

NEW Event Venues: Places to consider if you are planning an event in Perth.
Promote your Perth Event online: links for FREE on-line calendars and promo sites to let everyone know about your event .
Grants and Funding: where to find the money you need!

If you would like to know more or be included on our database, please e-mail us.

You can either be a volunteer or a friend:

VOLUNTEER: We e-mail you no-obligation with opportunities to volunteer for the CwaC catering events…
FRIEND: No volunteer requests, but you will receive occasional updates with workshops and news.

Thanks for visiting!

Slow Food

2006-11-29T09:08:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Slow Food - one of our "Food Issues" info pages (see menu to the right for other topics).

These Food Issues pages are designed to give you a little food for thought about some of the issues involved with sustainable eating.

Think of these pages as a taster for each issue:
just some brief info to introduce the concept and whet your appetite.

After sampling each issue, you may like to move onto the next "taster" or sink your teeth into some more substantial fare by using the links on each page.
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Slow Food is the antidote to fast food.

It's about taking the time to select, prepare and savour real food for a change.

It's about baking a cake with your kids rather than opening a packet.

It's rediscovering the delight of picking fresh vegetables, brewing home-made soup and trying heirloom recipes.

Slow food is the choosing joy of a mature cheese, sourdough bread and old wine over the instant gratification of microwaved madness.

Slow Food International says:
We believe that everyone has a fundamental right to pleasure and consequently the responsibility to protect the heritage of food, tradition and culture that make this pleasure possible.

Our movement is founded upon this concept of eco-gastronomy – a recognition of the strong connections between plate and planet.

Slow Food is good, clean and fair food.

We believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work. We consider ourselves co-producers, not consumers, because by being informed about how our food is produced and actively supporting those who produce it, we become a part of and a partner in the production process.

Cruelty Free

2006-11-27T11:11:00.003+08:00

Welcome to Cruelty Free - one of our "Food Issues" info pages (see menu to the right for other topics).

These Food Issues pages are designed to give you a little food for thought about some of the issues involved with sustainable eating. Think of these pages as a taster for each issue: just some brief info to introduce the concept and whet your appetite.

After sampling each issue, you may like to move onto the next "taster" or sink your teeth into some more substantial fare by using the links on each page.
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When eating animal products, such as meat, dairy and eggs, it is worth considering the impact on the animal.

Did they have a relatively comfortable life or was it cruel and miserable?

We tend to imagine your animals are raised in the idylic barn-yard environment of children's stories. However the reality today is that many animals live in "factory farms" which create a distressing and cruel life.

If you want to know more, have a look at The Meatrix: the award-winning flash animation movie about what we eat.

Some people would argue that since animals never freely choose a life dedicated to serving us dinner, that any animal-derived food has an element of cruelty. However, since most Australian diets do include animal products, it is worth asking how we can minimise cruelty and maximise ethical production.

Free-range produce basically means that the animal had a more natural life and that the farming practices met specified standards.

In general this means:

Freedom from Hunger & Thirst
Freedom from Discomfort
Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease
Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour
Freedom from Fear & Distress

These things may seem pretty obvious and basic but they are often NOT available in normal farming situations.

So for example, if you choose free range eggs, it means that the hens have

Better Housing: weatherproof and large enough to allow normal roosting with less crowding
Better Food: adequate food comprising only natural products, grains and natural sources of vitamins and minerals must be used.
Free Range Run: unrestricted access to the free-range run during the daylight hours.
Better Husbandry Practices: no beak trimming or over-crowding

Meat eaters can also choose free range meats such as Mt Barker Free Range Chickens.

Try Mondos in Inglewood or Boatshed in Cottesloe for a great selection of free range and organic meats.

Vegetarian

2006-11-27T11:11:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Vegetarian - one of our "Food Issues" info pages (see menu to the right for other topics).

These Food Issues pages are designed to give you a little food for thought about some of the issues involved with sustainable eating. Think of these pages as a taster for each issue: just some brief info to introduce the concept and whet your appetite.

After sampling each issue, you may like to move onto the next "taster" or sink your teeth into some more substantial fare by using the links on each page.
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Whether to become vegetarian is one of the most controversial and challenging questions for many people considering eating more sustainably.

Although people use the term pretty loosely, vegetarian basically means someone who does not eat meat or flesh or anything which involves killing of an animal.

So a complete vegetarian will not eat red meat, chicken or fish - or anything which contains these products such as stocks or sauces. They also avoid products with animal renet (made from stomach lining) which is in most cheeses, and geletine which is all many dessert and confectionary products.

Some people only eat fish and call themselves "vegetarian". While it's not worth arguing about semantics, this is really not correct and can increase confusion. If this is you, why not call yourself "veg-aquarian"?

A vegan is someone who does not eat any animal products at all, including dairy, eggs or honey.

For a surprising insight into the unlikely things which contain animal products, check out the Animal Products List.

People become vegetarian for all sorts of reasons including animal welfare, environmental concerns and health.

The basic concept behind eating a plant-based diet for sustainability is that meat is generally less efficient to produce.

Farming methods differ, but in general meat production will require more of our scarce resources such as water, animal feed and land. Meat also requires vast land clearing which involves habitat destruction, salinisation and soil erosion. Effluent disposal from intensive animal farming operations is a major problem and can lead to severe pollution of waterways and ground water.

Many people struggle with this one. On one hand they can see the issues associated with eating meat - but they don't feel like becoming a vegetarian is right for them.

The good news is, eating some vegetaian meals is a great start!

Never let the fact that you can't do everything

stop you from doing something!

So you don't need to change your whole life to have an impact in terms of meat consumption.

Why not just try eating a few vegetarian meals per week and see how it goes?

Another great step would be to only eat free range meats, which means that the animal had a far more natural and less cruel life.

Of course this page doesn't even scratch the surface of the issue, so for more info check out:

Vegetarian 101 - a great, user friendly site which covers all the issues
Vegetarian Dining in Perth, WA
Perth Veg Resources a wonderful local resource page
The global benefits of eating less meat - a comprehensive report on the issues
Vegetarian Society fact sheets

Peter Singer and Jim Mason's book The Ethics of What We Eat, is a great read if you're up for some more detailed information. Surprisingly accessible and easy to read, the book starts with a standard meal enjoyed by three very different families and trace its ingredients back through the production process to see what ethical issues arise. Containing essential information on ethical but practical shopping and dining, The Ethics of What We Eat will forever change the way you look at food.

Local Food

2006-11-27T11:10:00.002+08:00

Welcome to Local Food - one of our "Food Issues" info pages (see menu to the right for other topics).

These Food Issues pages are designed to give you a little food for thought about some of the issues involved with sustainable eating. Think of these pages as a taster for each issue: just some brief info to introduce the concept and whet your appetite.

After sampling each issue, you may like to move onto the next "taster" or sink your teeth into some more substantial fare by using the links on each page.
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Have you ever wondered how far your food has travelled before it got to you?

Is your dinner a local ... or has it clocked up more frequent flyer points than the Jetsons?

And why should you care?

Food miles is a measure of how far food travels - from paddock to plate.

And it's one of the key measures of how sustainable it is, because air and road travel consumes fuel and energy, and releases greenhouse pollution and affects the global climate.

So lower food miles = more local = more sustainable.

Local food is great.

Think about it... it's fresher, it keeps money in local economies and it requires less "middle-people" meaning what the consumer pays is less eroded before the producer receives it.

Then there is the social side of knowing you are supporting your local community and having the chance to meet the growers.

Check out these links:

Community Foods for great links to farmers markets, seed savers, community gardens and Community Supported Agriculture
Community Supported Agriculture
Community Garden Network

Like most food issues, calculating the net benefits of buying local is complex.

For example it has been argued that when purchasing foods which require lots of water in production such as rice, it is actually more sustainable to grow it in a high rainfall area and transport it to Australia than to grow it locally!

Similarly, some people believe that on a social level we should think as "global citizens". The idea here is that the net benefit to a community in a developing country generated by your purchase may be far more significant than the impact of the same purchase of local produce. So some people deliberately select fair trade produce from poor communities overseas above local produce.

Peter Singer and Jim Mason's book The Ethics of What We Eat, explains this in more detail.

Genetic Modification

2006-11-27T11:10:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Genetic Modification - one of our "Food Issues" info pages (see menu to the right for other topics).

These Food Issues pages are designed to give you a little food for thought about some of the issues involved with sustainable eating. Think of these pages as a taster for each issue: just some brief info to introduce the concept and whet your appetite.

After sampling each issue, you may like to move onto the next "taster" or sink your teeth into some more substantial fare by using the links on each page.

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Genetic Engineering (GE) or Genetic Modification (GM) is a new technology that allows scientists to move genes between different species. Using laboratory techniques scientists can create life-forms that could not occur in nature.

So what's wrong with that?

It's a very controversial area and in the long term it may turn out that GE is of great benefit to humans and our planet.

The concern for many people is that it is highly unpredictable. Because scientists still understand very little about how genes work, genetic engineers frequently find unexpected side effects when they move genes across species, or even within the same species - often with disastrous results.

The key issue is that GE organisms are alive.

That means that once they have been released into the environment and the food chain, they cannot be recalled. The living genetically engineered organism will replicate forever.

So if we discover later that a particular piece of genetic engineering released into the food chain was a mistake, it will be too late to do anything about it.

Even if the GE foods currently on the market turn out to be safe, deliberately selecting foods which are not genetically modified sends a message that we as consumers want more reseach before we are willing to purchase genetically modified foods.

To learn more check out Greenpeace's True Food site.

You will find excellent information, and a free shopping guide for buying GE free foods.

Packaging

2006-11-27T11:09:00.002+08:00

Welcome to Packaging - one of our "Food Issues" info pages (see menu to the right for other topics).

These Food Issues pages are designed to give you a little food for thought about some of the issues involved with sustainable eating.

Think of these pages as a taster for each issue: just some brief info to introduce the concept and whet your appetite. After sampling each issue, you may like to move onto the next "taster" or sink your teeth into some more substantial fare by using the links on each page. _________________________________________________________
In our disposable world, almost everything has packaging.

And it's far from inherently "bad".

In fact Mother Nature herself is something of a packaging genius!

Think of the eggshell... the banana skin... the seedpod...

What great examples of everything great packaging should be:

unique, recognisable and designed especially for the contents
beautiful, eye-catching and colour coordinated
functional for freshness and portion control
tough and protective
biodegradable

But the quantity and type of packaging can make a huge difference to the item's sustainability. So in the quest for sustainable food, it is worth considering the packaging as a part of the whole picture.

In general, we reckon less is more.

Here are a few creative ideas for sustainable packaging options here in Perth:

Buy in bulk

There is something wonderful about a 4 litre tin of olive oil or a 5kg bag of arborio. It's so much nicer dipping into an abundant barrel of grains, nuts, seeds or spices among amazing smells and colours, than buying an overpriced dinky package with the supermarket herd.

For dry goods, bulk-buying is more sustainable, far cheaper and you run out less often.

If you store food properly in sealed containers you can buy a year's worth in one trip and take up a new hobby in the time you used to spend food shopping! If you live in a small household or don't cook often enough to get through bulk quantities, consider teaming up with some friends and splitting a bulk purchase between you.

Here are some great places for bulk buying in Perth:

The RE Store: (72 Lake St, Northbridge or Oxford St, Leederville) Beautiful Italian-inspired gourmet stores with plenty of bulk buys and wholefoods.
The Angry Almond: (Station Street Markets - 52 Station Street, Subiaco) - open: 9am-5.30pm Fri-Sun, Mon and public holidays - A wholefood store which carries a large range of bulk items. Also home delivery.
Kakulas Sisters (29-31 Market street, Fremantle and Balga Shopping Centre) - Carries a great range of bulk wholefoods, and international foods. Open 7 days.
Kakulas Bros. (14 William Street, Northbridge) Large range of bulk wholefoods.
Organic wholefood stores are listed on our organics page.
Asian stores are great for unusual and authentic treats. Try Brisbane St or Lake St, Northbridge.
European Foods (93–101 Aberdeen Street, Northbridge) A wholesaler offering an amazing wonderland of gourmet bulk produce. There are minimum quantities to purchase so it may not be appropriate for everyone - but definitely worth a visit for your annual shop or a big party. You will be asked for an organisation name at the checkout.
Planet Ark is great for cleaning products and eco-goodies.

Home Delivery
Home delivery is not only more sustainable in terms of petrol and so much easier and less time consuming, it is actually a great packaging option too. No plastic bags - just reusable boxes delivered to your door.

electrolley
groceryzone
ezyshop
Organic wholefood stores are listed on our organics page. Many offer home delivery.
Freshline Groceries have a conventional store and organic division

Choose better packaging

Remember less is more. Deliberately choose the brand with the least packaging and boycott companies with excessive amounts or multiple layers.
Ditch "individually wrapped" items. Extra freshness claims are pretty marginal and you're just paying more for extra packaging and less product.
Buy larger quantities at a time. One 500g jar is better than two 250g jars.
Choose recycled packaging materials.
Choose recyclable packaging materials. This may depend on your local council. Only buy stuff yours will recycle for you.
Choose eco-packaging. We love stuff made from recycled paper, cornstarch, bamboo or hemp.
With conventional packaging, sustainability is tricky and hard to be absolute about. There are many factors which make a material sustainable including if it's renewable, where it comes from and how many pollutants and resoures are involved in its production. In general we choose paper, then glass and metal, then plastics but it's not clear cut.
Ditch disposable: instead, go for long-life stuff you can re-use. If you want lightweight, easy and unbreakable, go with melamine or biodegradable bamboo.
Take your own bags and boxes shopping or ask for an empty fruit box. We love onya bags which fold up tiny when not in use but open out big when needed. Trolleybags and recycled eskys are also very cool.

Zero Waste WA has a Shopping Guide to help reduce packaging.

Recycling Near You is a great resource for finding out what to do with that unwanted stuff.

Community Supported Agriculture

2006-11-27T11:09:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Community Supported Agriculture - one of our "Food Issues" info pages (see menu to the right for other topics).

These Food Issues pages are designed to give you a little food for thought about some of the issues involved with sustainable eating. Think of these pages as a taster for each issue:
just some brief info to introduce the concept and whet your appetite.

After sampling each issue, you may like to move onto the next "taster" or sink your teeth into some more substantial fare by using the links on each page.
_____________________________________________________________

Community Supported Agriculture is a concept which encourages local, environmentally sustainable food production, and which supports farmers and consumers alike. It is a proactive way of saying NO to genetic engineering, environmental degradation and the corporate control of food.

Community Supported Agriculture links the public with growers, connecting consumers to the source of their organic food.

While there are many variations of Community Supported Agriculture, the general concept is that the grower contracts with a group of consumers to provide them with an agreed quantity and variety of freshly picked organic food for the entire season.

Mimsbrook Farm is a great working example of the concept in practice.
It is located near Armadale, just outside Perth, and also operates a Vic Park biodynamic / organic retail store.

So is Somerville Ecovillage which is a residential community.

Fair Trade

2006-11-27T11:08:00.003+08:00

Welcome to Fair Trade - one of our "Food Issues" info pages (see menu to the right for other topics).

These Food Issues pages are designed to give you a little food for thought about some of the issues involved with sustainable eating.

Think of these pages as a taster for each issue:
just some brief info to introduce the concept and whet your appetite.

After sampling each issue, you may like to move onto the next "taster" or sink your teeth into some more substantial fare by using the links on each page.
_________________________________________________________

To us, Fair Trade is about ensuring that the people who produce the products we enjoy, get a fair go. That means safe working conditions, freedom from exploitation and a living wage.

Oxfam has more information if you'd like to learn more.

Fair Trade shopping in Perth

Fair Go Trading
This great shop is a Perth-based retailer and supplier of fair trade and organic goodies including coffee, tea, chocolate, drinking chocolate and snacks. They also have a selection of fairly traded crafts produced by talented artisans from areas such as Peru, Aceh, Bangladesh, Kashmir and Central Australia.

They can be contacted on (08) 9228 2610. The shop is at 197 Brisbane St Perth, Western Australia, 6000 (opposite Hotel Northbridge).

Fair Trade Locator allows you to search for a fair trade product in your area.

Oxfam's Fair-Trade WA lists include:

Other Fair Trade Links

People for Fair Trade
PFFT are a voluntary network of people in Australia who are committed to fair trade with producers of goods, through the support of education and alternative trade.

Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand is the regional body bringing together all organisations and individuals interested and working in the fair trade movement.

Organic

2006-11-27T11:08:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Organic - one of our "Food Issues" info pages (see menu to the right for other topics).

These Food Issues pages are designed to give you a little food for thought about some of the issues involved with sustainable eating.

Think of these pages as a taster for each issue:

just some brief info to introduce the concept and whet your appetite.

After sampling each issue, you may like to move onto the next "taster"or sink your teeth into some more substantial fare by using the links on each page.

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Organic farming is all about using natural production methods to produce food.

It is more than just chemical-free production.

It is about keeping every step of the process "from paddock to plate" clean and green.

People choose organic for all sorts of reasons including concerns about their own health, the environment and animal welfare.

There is already lots of information available about organics - from far more expert people than us. So rather than replicating it here, we are providing a few links for you to look at.

Organic Information
The Biological Farmers of Australia site has great consumer information and links.

National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia has a great site with lots of news and information.

Organic Choice is a well designed, friendly site with lots of info and links.

10 reasons to go organic from Kalis

Organic Retail
Absolutely Organic (782 North Beach Road, near corner of Karrinyup Road, Gwelup) - Small Organic Supermarket with great Range of Organic Produce, including some bulk items. Open: Tuesday to Friday 9:00am - 6:00pm, Saturday 9:00am - 1:00pm. Phone: (08) 9242 7711

Peaches Fresh Food Market (195 Hampton Rd, South Fremantle) has a large (and expanding) range of fresh and packaged organic foods, as well as many other organic / animal friendly health care / cosmetic products. The owner has made quite an effort with the fresh organics, to the point where several products are close to if not the same price as conventional produce.

Mt Lawley Whole Foods (Unit 3, 885 Beaufort Street, Inglewood) - Certified organic fruit and vegies, soy products, bulk wholefoods and grocery items. They also deliver anywhere in Perth and Country WA. Ph: (08) 9371 6408

City Farm Organic Growers Market (at the end of Lime Street, East Perth, directly next to the Claisebrook railway station) - Various stallholders and local growers selling organic fresh produce, bodycare products, herbs/plants and other products. Friendly atmosphere. 8am - 12 noon Saturdays.

The Earth Market (375 Subiaco Mews, Hay Street, Subiaco) - Specialises in fresh organic and biodynamic produce, wheat and gluten free, vegan and vegetarian products. Also has a cafe. Ph: 9382 2266

Soul Tree (Shop 6 / 50 Railway Parade, Glen Forrest) Organic store and cafe. Monday to Sunday - 8.30am to 5.30pm Ph: 9298 9997

Mimsbrook Farmshop (65 C Etwell Street, East Victoria Park) Open Thursday-Saturday. Biodynamic and Organic items produced using Community Supported Agriculture. They sell from their Armadale Farm as well. Ph: 9497 1412

Fremantle Markets - South Tce, Fremantle. Open Fiday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. They have various organic stalls including:

Mrs Organic - stall 13: organic fish and meat

Sunny Wholefoods - stall 8: certified meat, tofu, milk, yogurt, dried fruits, nuts, flour, rice, legumes, party snacks Ph: 9335 8355

Market Breadshop - stall 88: organic bread Ph: 018 938 036

Tony & Sylvia - stall 112: fruit and veg Ph: 0439698185

Malibu Fresh Essentials (Malibu Shopping Centre, Malibu Road, Safety Bay) Seven-day growers market supplying a good range of fresh organic fruit and vegetables and locally produced dry goods, breads, meats, cheese, olives and continental delicacies. Ph: 08 9527 3108

Manna Wholefoods (274 South Tce, Fremantle) A great store, selling organic fresh produce, various organic grocery lines, organic bulk herbs and wholefoods. Also has a small cafe. Open hours - Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Saturday 8.30am to 3pm.

Loose Produce (2 Hobbs Ave, Como) Whole food supermarket with lost of bulk self-serve items. Some organic along with gluten free and gourmet items.

Healthy Valley Organics (28 Drynan Street, Bayswater) are good for bulk orders of dried fruits and nuts plus some other products like fertilisers. Ph: (08) 9371 9903

Wembley IGA is as good as conventional supermarkets get. Good range of organic fruit, veg, meat, dairy and packaged products along with some good lines in terms of gluten free and local WA producers.

Greenmart Eco-store (175 Hay Street, East Perth) has organic foods and giftware. Ph: 9325 8881

Mondo Butcher: If you do choose to eat meat, Mondos is a great place to get organic and free range meats.

Health n More (Shop 7/265 Canning Hwy, Palmyra) A variety of natural and organic products all in the one store. Skincare, babycare, cleaning products, organic food including teas, coffee, chocolate and some healthy goodies too. Natropath on hand for advice.

Where to Buy Organics provides nationwide link and contact details for organic suppliers. Good WA section.

There is another good list produced by Healthy Valley Organics.

Home Delivery
Freshline Organics Claremont Fresh organic fruit and veg plus meats, dairy and grocery items. Delivers to most suburbs in and around Perth and to a number of country towns. Ph: 9284 6503

Mt Lawley Whole Foods (Unit 3, 885 Beaufort Street, Inglewood) - Certified organic fruit and vegies, soy products, bulk wholefoods and grocery items. Ph: (08) 9371 6408

An Organic Experience (Home Delivered, and at Shop 1B, 73 Gibson Ave, Padbury) Ph: 9402-3094

Organic Foods Australia (Malaga) Retail sales, home deliveries & exports of certified organic and biodynamic fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry and a wide range of wholefoods. Ph: (08) 9248 4506

Wembley IGA home deliver to lots of central and western suburbs.

Everything Organic is a web-based delivery service with a range of organic foods and household products. Ph: 6210 1736

The Organic Collective deliver mixed boxes of certified organic produce in the Fremantle Area - Mixed seasonal boxes of certified organic fruit and vegetables home delivered Mosman Park, Fremantle and south of the river in Perth. Contact Damian and Bernie: Ph: 08 9331 5590

Cafes and Restaurants

There are very few organic cafes and restaurants in Perth. The list below, compiled in good faith shows those which at least make an attempt at serving organic food. However, they are NOT necessarily exclusively organic and we offer no guarantees on their behalf!

Sandcastle Organic Restaurant (11/396 South Tce, Fremantle) Beautiful and unique special occasion food and functions with a complete organic wine list. Ph: 9335 2445

Source Foods (289 Beaufort St, Northbridge, cnr Brisbane St, opposite the Brisbane Hotel.) Opening early 2007. Sustainable cafe and catering featuring lots of organics. Highly recommended but we might be a teeny, weeny bit biased...

Organica (Shop 3B, Shafto Lane, Hay St Perth) Inner city organic lunches. Ph: (08) 9321 0345

Country Organic Cafe (Mundaring Arcade Tel 9295 0909) Monday to Friday 8.30 to 5.00 Saturday 8.30 to 3.30 lunches, tea and coffee, organic produce

Mt Lawley Whole Foods (Unit 3, 885 Beaufort Street, Inglewood) - Has a lunch cafe inside their organic food store. Ph: (08) 9371 6408

Manna Wholefoods (274 South Tce, Fremantle) Has a lunch cafe inside their organic food store.

The Earth Market (375 Subiaco Mews, Hay Street, Subiaco) - Specialises in fresh organic and biodynamic produce, wheat and gluten free, vegan and vegetarian products. Also has a cafe. Ph: 9382 2266

Soul Tree (Shop 6 / 50 Railway Parade, Glen Forrest) Monday to Sunday - 8.30am to 5.30pm Organic store and cafe. Ph: 9298 9997

Selected Producers
Mimsbrook Farm produces a wide variety of biodynamic fruit, vegetables and other organic foods. The family farm runs through Community Supported Agriculture which links the public with growers, connecting consumers to the source of their organic food. The grower contracts with a group of consumers like you to provide an agreed quantity and variety of freshly picked organic food for the entire season. The consumers agree to pay in advance for the season's output of organic food. Each week over the season they receive a share of whatever organic food is ready for harvest. This arrangement benefits both grower and consumer.

Biobean is a Perth roaster of organic, fair trade coffee.

Staff Wanted

2006-11-21T13:56:00.000+08:00

Source

Cafe Opening Early 2007

Isn't it time Perth had its own eco-cafe?

A welcoming, inner-city oasis with delicious food, great coffee and a passion for environmentally and socially sustainable hospitality?

Somewhere you can enjoy a free-range breakfast
grab a quick sustainable lunch,
meet friends for fair-trade coffee
or indulge in some organic chocolate cake?

The key difference between our planned cafe and your average eatery is how we source our food.

So as you eat your meal, you know you’re treating the earth gently, the workers fairly and the animals kindly.

Source Foods is opening in early 2007!
289 Beaufort St, Northbridge
Cnr Brisbane St - opposite Brisbane Hotel

Feel free to peer in the window if you are in the area - just don't judge us on the current decor: we're renovating!

Staff Wanted

Time for a tea change?

Would you like to help pioneer sustainable hospitality in Perth? We are currently rennovating and looking for paid staff.

From early 2007, we have full time, part time and casual positions available for:

Cooks (qualifications not essential)

Baristas / coffee makers (experience preferred)

Customer service / waiters

Kitchen assistants / general hands

Industry background will be well regarded but is not essential. While we value hospitality experience, all passionate, interested people who are willing to learn are encouraged to apply.

So if you are a hospitality whiz with an interest in sustainability
… OR a sustainability whiz with an interest in hospitality,
maybe you should talk to us.

Students, parents and others looking for some delicious part time work around their existing commitments are welcome.

Source Foods can offer:

committment to beautiful food, great coffee and outstanding service

a friendly, collaborative team environment where personal sustainability of our staff is as important as the environmental sustainability of our products

lovely setting: newly rennovated dining room, spacious kitchen in an inner city location opposite a park

above award wages and flexible working conditions

the chance to be part of an environmentally and socially sustainable business.

To express interest or find out more, e-mail us with your brief CV or questions.

Catering Library: Borrow Crockery

2006-11-21T13:02:00.000+08:00

Are you having a function or event where you need some catering equipment or crockery but can't afford to hire it?

Our Catering Library is a Source of portable food-service equipment available for loan to selected charities and non-government organisations.

Interested? Here's the details:

What is the Catering Libary for?
Not everyone who wants to run an event owns 47 soup bowls, 100 wine glasses & and urn ...

For a non-profit organisation, even something as small as hiring crockery can really chew into a shoestring budget or offset the benefits of holding a fundraiser.

So when we found ourselves with a pool of unwanted catering gear and a place to store it, an idea was born. What if we made it available for loan to assist people to get their events off the ground?

What is available?
A detailed inventory is being prepared soon. In the meantime, here is a rough list:

dinner plates (50 white china & 40 plastic)

large plastic catering platters (30)

small china platters (15 oval - could be used as large plates)

assorted china coffee mugs (lots)

china cups and saucers

2 urns

4 shelf food warmer

slow cooker

100 white melamine food bowls

a few large plastic salad bowls

40 water glasses + a few wine glasses

portable electrical equipment such as deep fryer, toasters, electric frypan etc

commercial sized pots and pans

assorted cutlery

There are a few other items too and we accept donations of unwanted catering equipment so the pool is always growing.

Who can borrow from the catering library?
Most benevolent non-profit events or organisations will be considered. You do not need to be incorporated - collectives or individuals doing something wonderful for their community are welcome.

We are particularly encourage environmental, social justice, peace, youth and arts organisations to approach us.

Schools and other non-profits such as sporting groups may be considered in certain circumstances but are not our core focus. Please note that this service is not designed for businesses or government organisations who can afford to hire equipment.

Do I need to be a CwaC client to use this service?
No. Self catering groups are welcome to borrow from us and we'll help if we can.

Is it free?
We request a self determined voluntary contibution of $20-$50 per event, depending on your means, regardless of the amount of equipment required. This contribution helps us to offset the admin costs of the catering library and replace worn out equipment and is a small fraction of what commercial equipment hire costs.

It is voluntary so if this contribution genuinely beyond your means, please talk to us about your circumstances.

A $100 bond is also required. This bond will be used to offset any breakages or costs involved if equipment is not returned clean. Let us know if you'd like a list of the replacement costs of each item. If you return all equipment clean, your bond will be fully refunded.

What if we break something?
The reason we request a small volunary contribution to assist us to replace breakages / losses.

We understand that china gets broken sometimes and promise not to cry if you've dropped a plate or can't find the 99th teaspoon. So, while we request the the utmost care is taken, there is no penalty for one or two small breakages.

With the larger equipment, it is essential that you follow our instructions carefully to look after each item. Please be aware that if you break or loose a larger item such as electrical items or commercial pots and pans, we will probably withhold your bond to assist us to replace the item.

What are the responsibilities of the borrower?
The person who borrows the equipment will be asked to sign an agreement undertaking to:

collect and return the equipment at an agreeed time, including removing it from storage area and returning it afterwards

look after the equipment to the best of your ability, including following any instructions with electrical equipment

ensure all items are thoroughly cleaned and dried and repacked neatly

note any breakages / losses

Do CwaC deliver?
No - groups wishing to borrow from the library are required to collect the required equipment from our Northbridge Cafe and return it afterwards. Some of it is stored up high, so someone relatively agile is recommended.

Washing up
All equipment must be returned properly cleaned. If you don't have the capacity to ensure that this is done properly you would be better off to hire your equipment commercially and pay the company to wash it for you.

If our staff need to spend time doing your dishes, the cost of this will be subtracted from your bond and we will be unlikely to lend you gear in the future.

Can I donate items to the pool?
Yes - useful donations are always appreciated.

We accept any catering equipment, crockery, cutlery, glasses or utensils in reasonable condition. We especially need durable and matching service items plus easy to operate portable equipment such as flat grills, electric frypans, warmers, urns etc.

We do not generally accept small numbers of odd crockery / cutlery from your home kitchen. We recommend donating these to an op shop! We do not accept broken or dangerous equipment.

How do I find out more?
Call 08 9443 7454 or 040 7454 042 or e-mail us.

Guiding Values

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Cooks with a Conscience is all about activism for the tastebuds!

To give you a general flavour for how we approach our adventures, here is the recipe ...

Questions not answers
Although we are interested in asking "from where the meal came", CwaC is not about having "the answers" to sustainable food.

It's about having fun and eating well while gently sautéing the questions.

Everyone welcome
Diversity is a wonderful thing and everyone is welcome at our table.

In fact, let me get you a plate!

(For the record... YES that includes kids, YES that includes meat eaters and YES that includes non-cooks.)

Action not theory
Although we were founded on some key ideas, CwaC is about rice not rhetoric, lettuce not lectures and filo not philosophising!

Although sustainability is close to our hearts and we don't reckon we qualify as "apolitical", our core function is all about doing.

If you looking for debate, try parliament... but if the thought of two kilos of fresh basil or hand rolled pumpkin and thyme gnocchi makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, maybe you should meet us in the kitchen.

Pinch of humour in every dish
OK, we are dishing up some pretty juicy issues but let's not take ourselves too seriously ok?
Fun is a very serious objective of this organisation.

Event Venues in Perth

2006-06-20T10:13:00.001+08:00

Here are some relatively low cost event venues in WA which you may like to check out.

This is simply a list provided in good faith to assist you. We are not associated with any of these venues and can not guarentee their quality or suitability.

The venues below are mostly non-residential & suitable for a day or evening event.

e-mail us if you need residential venues for a conference, retreat or camp.

We'd also love to hear from you if you know any wonderful, low cost venues we should add to this list.

Venue lists:

Council Venues
Local government owned venues are often the best option if you are looking for a low cost event.
This link takes you to the Grinners Catering Company who have compiled a great list of links to local venues.

Private Training Venues listed by Ideas WA
This excellent disability services site lists a good cross section of venues in WA. Most are not suitable for parties / functions - more for seminars / training.

upcoming.org list

This list is extensive but doesn't have many details about each venue. However, if you already know Perth well and just need some inspiration about where you could try this is a great place to start.

Perth Venues
Another list of venues organised by location.

Specific venues:

POINT WALTER
Beautiful setting – often booked out. Central, well resourced.Absolutely sensational - residential as well as day venue.

WOLLASTON COLLEGE CONFERENCE CENTRE
Wollaston Rd- Mt Claremont
It's inside Bold Park & Church owned. Beautiful setting, well resourced, affordable
Tel 08 9286 0200
Email info@wollastoncollege.com.au

PINEY LAKES ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE
Leach Highway, Winthrop, Western Australia
Tel. (08) 9364 0791
Email: eboyd@melville.wa.gov.au
A bit rustic and not central: but VERY green and nice setting. Affordable.

CURRIE HALL @ UWA
Phone: 9273 3333
Fax: 9388 1224
Email: curriehallfunctions@guild.uwa.edu.au

Trinity College Conference Centre @ UWA

CAMELOT / MOSARTS
Mosman Park
Telephone: (08) 9385 3827Fax: (08) 9385 2055Email : mosarts@camelot.com.au
Beautiful heritage building and courtyard + adjacent park.

FREMANTLE EDUCATION CENTRE
Corner of Cantonment & Parry StreetFremantle, Western Australia 6959Phone : +61 8 9335 5444 Fax: +61 8 99335 5656
Email: ldumont@f-e-c.com.au

CURTIN BUSINESS SCHOOL
Excellent indoor facilities but no bushland. Might be too business-y for some groups.

The Bakery ARTRAGE Complex

233 James Street, Northbridge.The Bakery ARTRAGE Complex is located in the heart of Perth entertainment precinct on James Street in Northbridge and is made up of a number of distinct spaces including the breadbox gallery, as well as theatre, cabaret, film screening and gig facilities.The Bakery ARTRAGE Complex is also fully equipped with bar facilities.

THE BOULEVARD CENTRE
Nice & affordable indoor facilities but no outdoor areas.
99 The Boulevard, Floreat (Lower Level Cambridge Library the Floreat Forum Shopping Centre)Tel: 9383 8900

MARY MACKILLOP CENTRE
South Perth
Address: 16 York Street, South Perth WA 6151
Postal Address: PO Box 593, South Perth WA 6151
Telephone: (08) 9474 3349
Beautiful building and grounds: oasis in the suburbs. Church run - so will only accept certain events.

21 COLRAY AVENUE
Osborne Park
Phone 1300 855 592
Courtney McNeill: 0419 044 486
E-mail info@21colray.com
More expensive, excellent indoor facilities. (Has courtyard) Maximum 50 people.

HERDSMAN LAKE WILDLIFE CENTRE
Cnr Flynn St & Selby St, Wembley
Only suitable for smaller, eco-oriented events.
Phone: (08) 9387 6079 Fax: (08) 9387 3492

FILM & TELEVISION INSTITUTE
92 Adelaide St, Fremantle
Has full movie theatre + various event rooms.
Ph +61 8 9431 6700
Fx +61 8 9335 1283
fti@fti.asn.au

Where to put your promo material

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Promote your Perth Event online

2006-06-20T09:23:00.000+08:00

Promotions and marketing is often one of the biggest challenges with making any event successful. This list gives you some useful links to promote your event on line for FREE – potentially reaching audiences which would never have heard about it otherwise.

This list is copy-left: you are free to use it, reproduce it, modify it however you like.

These links are provided in good faith, to assist people to get their events off the ground. However, please note that we have no association with any site listed and cannot guarantee the content or functionality.

The internet is a transient place, so keeping it up to date is a constant process. If you know of a site we should add, change or delete, please e-mail it to us.

Also check out the tips at the bottom of this page and other resources in our resource section for more goodies.

GENERAL/MAINSTREAM
sites for promoting almost any event and widen your audience:

Streets of Perth is quite professional and mainstream and accepts all types of events.
Scroll down & click “Calendar” on bottom left. Click “add event” button either on your date or at the bottom. Suitable for any event: arts, activism, education, fundraising, sport, festivals.

Scoop
The electronic version of the Perth “lifestyle magazine”

ALL sorts of events including Arts events, kids events, sports / outdoor, festivals, courses etc
Click on “submit your event”

It is a very professional, “upmarket” site but they check everything manually and they need minimum 21 days notice!

Upcoming.org
a Blog style collaborative event calendar.
Accepts anything – but lists mostly entertainment
Need to create account first.
Very grass roots but with lots of listings. International concept.

Perth Perth
A discussion board style site where you can list any event – under appropriate topic
Register and then add your event

Take a Break
Holiday / travel / fun events
Register and then add your event
A bit touristy but also suitable for events aimed at locals.

Perth Infonet
Run by the radio station 94.5
This is as MAINSTREAM COMMERCIAL as it gets… but worth considering and quite diverse. HEAPS of local traffic!!!
Click on “infonet” on the side menu.
The best bit is they read out the community listings on air for free – so you’ll get a listening audience too.

Perth City Life
A good general info site about Perth for locals and tourists, including event calendar.
Suits any fun public event or tourist activity – under appropriate category. Not suited to meetings or small activist events.
Click “Add your event” and use online form.
A less glossy looking site but still lists lots of events. A bit touristy but also suitable for events aimed at locals.

What’s on in Perth and Fremantle
Aimed at tourists but lots for locals too.
Anything – but lists mostly entertainment or tourist activities
e-mail: info@countrywide.com.au
You can’t submit on line.
(They also have a printed guide to advertise in but that takes lead time and costs money. )

Perth Tourist Centre On line
Tourist focused events and info site.
Any general events of interest to tourists
Click “add your event” at the bottom of the page.
Fill in on-line form.
Events must be submitted at least 30 days in advance.

City Search
This well known, massive hit site has a free events section. Although it’s national, you can select your state to add an event.
Club, community and arts events. Anything really.
Use on line form - send it at least 10 days in advance of the event

Get A Life
An extraordinary cyber community which allows you to post “events” and “communities” for other to view and join.
Any event or community of interest.
You have to join first but basic membership is free. You can trial the “deluxe” membership for 14 days for free too – which is enough if you’re just listing a once-off event.
Consider registering your group as well. Sophisticated database and design. Probably only worth using if you post regular events.

Freo Focus
A council run Freo event list
Anything in or near Freo (the whole council area – not just the suburb)
Click event form link at bottom of page.

ARTS-oriented sites:
for promoting shows, films, concerts, theater, music and lifestyle events

Independent Theatre Association Website
Aimed at amateur theatre participants and audiences – although good support from the professional arena.

A really pumping active site. National but WA based. Lots of local arts traffic.
Suitable for arts related events and shows – mostly theatre. Also auditions, jobs and arts news.
First select “add company” and register yourself. If you are not from a “real” theatre company, your group name is just fine!
Then select “add event” and fill in the form with full details. You may also like to put news of your event on some of the bulletin boards.
Note clearly that your event is in WA if you don’t want responses from all over the country.

Arts Hub
Extremely professional high traffic national arts website.
Very “industry”. You actually have to join as a member to post things on this site – but it’s worth it ($55.00) if you want to attract people from the arts sector.
Arts events, news, auditions, jobs etc.
Not really suitable to just publicize a performance: more events which would interest the arts industry. Send your MEDIA RELEASE to: news@dramatic.com.au
or add a new industry event, go to the “events” page.
Important to look at this site first to get a feel for it - Not really suited to general public events.

Propelarts
This is WA’s peak youth art’s organisation.
Great site and good hit rate. If you add an event it will usually also be added to their fortnightly e-zine and e-mailed to several thousand people.

Any arts or cultural event or any youth event which would appeal to under 25s.
You do need to join to add events – but it’s really worth it, with heaps of benefits.
Membership is FREE if you are 25 or under and a nominal cost for over 25s.
If you write an article about the event and e-mail it to info@propelarts.org.au they may publish it in the fortnightly e-zine for you.

Activism sites:
for promoting meetings, protests, courses, fundraisers and gigs with any sort of social justice, environmental, human rights, progressive, alternative or independent flavour.

Active Perth
All about positive social change with an electronic event calender to publicise their events.

It e-mails events to people.
Meetings, protests, fundraisers and gigs with any sort of social justice / environmental flavour. Needs to appeal to an alternative / activist readership.

Click “add event” and fill in the form
A Perth version of a National site which is well maintained and e-mails subscribers weekly. You may want to check out their “groups” page for people to notify.

The Project SafeCom Events Calendar
A non-profit incorporated organisation working for "a safe community" for displaced people. They formed primarily to work on refugee issues but now campaign on a variety of different causes. Their calendar is a service which promotes external events for like-minded groups.

The Conservation Council of WA
The peak body for all the environmental groups in WA who publish both a print newsletter and e-bulletin.

If you e-mail them your environment-related info and request they include it, they may consider it as a free news listing. They do charge for including A4 / A5 inserts in their newsletter – but this is very inexpensive and a great way to get your full flyer out to loads of active environment groups all over Perth.

Greenleft weekly
Website of the independent newspaper “committed to human and civil rights, global peace and environmental sustainability, democracy and equality”
Meetings, protests, fundraisers and gigs with any sort of social justice, sustainability, alternative or independent flavour.
e-mail your event to: web@greenleft.org.au

Citizenscape
Government site with resources for those interested in active citizenship, community consultation and participation.
Good "What’s On" Calendar for any community related activities.
e-mail bacitizen@dpc.wa.gov.au
It’s government, so certain activist events may not be too popular :)

Indymedia
Perth’s Independent Media Centre. Activist run. Great site!
Suitable for actions, protests, meetings, seminars, arts events
Use the form at the bottom of the page. You can also join.

Greens WA
The site of the Greens WA political party
Any sustainability related events including social justice, environment and cultural sustainability, peace and non-violence.
e-mail office@wa.greens.org.au and ask to have it put on the “Announce” e-list which goes out to hundreds of members.

Sustainable Business Network
e-mail discussion list which invites people to listen in and post messages and questions related to sustainable business, with an Australian and International focus.
Any sustainability related events
You have to join to post to the list.

It’s free. Note that it’s a discussion list – not an events list – so you need to actually want to be part of it in an ongoing way. Letting people know about appropiate events is ok - but don't bombard them with advertising!

FOOD sites

Eating WA Forums
A good new local foodie site with discussion board style forums. Note that it’s a discussion list – not an events list – so you need to actually want to be part of it in an ongoing way. Letting people know about appropiate events is ok - but don't bombard them with advertising! You do need to join to post.

Club Veg Perth
Club-Veg Perth is a yahoo e-group for all Perth vegetarians and vegans to socialise, network and make new freindships within the growing vegetarian community of Perth. Note that it’s a discussion list – not an events list – so you need to actually want to be part of it in an ongoing way. Letting people know about appropiate events is ok - but don't bombard them with advertising! There is also a little used events calendar. Perth Vegan and Perth Vegans Unite are similar concepts but for vegans. Also see Perth Raw Foodists.

Perth Veg
This is a privately owned, local information site with lots of good links. They post veg*n or animal rights related events on the home page. For consideration, e-mail your event to: nakeddragon@iprimus.com.au

Notes on promoting your event:

Give your event a great name and a short, clear description. Note that in many sites, only the heading will appear and people have to click for more info – so if it is not obvious from your name what it’s all about, many people may miss it.
Please respect what the site is for. Misuse of a site will not only we a waste of your energy, it is considered quite unacceptable to promote something outside the site guidelines and could result in you being excluded from using the site in the future.
Post events as EARLY as possible: some sites take a while to put things up. For most events, 4-6 weeks in advance is ideal.
Always include contact details, date, time and cost.
Come up with as many key words as you can. Remember you want to be found by interested people if they search!
DON’T include the exact address if you don’t want people to show up without booking!
You can sometimes list events in multiple categories and this will mean your event shows up in more user searches.
Don’t be afraid to enter your details if asked to “join”. These sites are all reputable and you can always opt out of e-mail lists if you like.
Consider other forms of FREE (or almost free) promotions too such as media releases, word of mouth, self-produced flyers in venues etc. E-mail me if you would like a list of suggested places to put your flyers in Perth!

Special Events

2006-06-20T09:10:00.000+08:00

Upcoming events

See our new website: www.sourcefoods.com.au

Previous events

POT LUCK DINNER LAUNCH

COOKS WITH A CONSCIENCE is a new non-profit eco-foodie collective.
It’s activism for the tastebuds!

But can group catering really respect the earth, nourish the soul,
meet the budget and still impress the masses?

Find out at our POT LUCK DINNER LAUNCH
ask questions … learn more … get involved … eat well

All welcome: passionate foodies, wannabe cooks, activists-with-aprons,
can’t-boil-an-eggers and the chronically curious.

If you can make it, you are asked to either bring along a plate of vego food to share OR $10 for dinner. Drinks, crockery, cutlery provided.

6.30pm Tues 25 Oct, Lotteries House Conf. Room, 2 Delhi St, W. Perth
RSVP / more details Katrina: 9443 7454

Our People

2006-06-19T21:35:00.000+08:00

As explained in the history section of this site, 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.

Katrina Bercov is the food-loving founder of CwaC - with masses of help and support from husband Cameron and lots of amazing volunteers and friends.

A professional educator and award-winning business manager, Katrina has a tertiary background in psychology and education. Always an entrepreneur, at the age of 20 Katrina established "Ovations", her own training and events company, in the back room of her parents' house, with a 386 computer and a home phone-line. When she sold up a decade later in 2004, she had been named the Young Business Woman of the Year (2000) and the business was a nation-wide company, with a swag of top 500 clients, employing 20 people.

After a couple of years working in Arts Management and Training and Development, Katrina took a sea change to get serious about food.

Fresh from the home-dinner-party school of cuisine, she has been professionally catering since 2004 and has recently completed Certificate 2 of Commercial Cookery (Chef Training) to develop some industry knowledge.

Although currently coordinating CwaC on a voluntary basis, Katrina also runs a commercial eco-catering business called Source and is opening a cafe in 2007.

Katrina loves organic vegies, thinks everyone should make their own pesto but admits to buying tinned chickpeas. She drinks too much coffee.

Katrina is married to Cameron who has also been involved with CwaC from its beginnings. Cameron is an Environmental Lawyer with a background in conservation work, specialising in biodiversity. Along with being an active participant in the practical side of the operation, Cameron brings much specialist sustainability knowledge to the CwaC table.

Katrina and Cameron salute Scott who was at the first ever pre-CwaC gig and has been showing up ever since. Scott is a great cook with a day job... but maybe we can change that?

Robyn from the Pinakarri Community has been especially supportive, lending us much needed items and offering consistent help and support.

Pip is a great friend and great cook who has been amazingly available and has shared her skills and knowledge generously.

Our other volunteers are too numerous to list but we love them all.

Why don't you join us?

You can volunteer for CwaC any time and we are also currently looking for paid cafe staff to start in 2007.

History

2006-06-19T17:10:00.000+08:00

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...

Vegetarian Dining in Perth WA

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This list was updated in 2006.

It is for the general interest of anyone looking for vegetarian eateries in Perth – but no responsibilty is taken. It really is a work in progress and may always be incomplete or incorrect. Always call before visiting!

Please e-mail me if you have any additions or corrections. I would welcome your comments or reviews.

This list is copyleft:
you are free to reproduce it, post it to websites, pass it on and edit it – as freely as you like.

The A List:
These places are totally vego and have an actively vego outlook.
Be nice to them!

ANNALAKSHMI RESTAURANT (has re-opened)
2nd floor, Behind the Bell Tower, Barrack St Jetty, (Between Jetty 4 and Jetty 5) Perth
Indian vegetarian buffet style
Great vegan range too
Unique Indian décor with great view.
Phone (08) 9221 3003
http://www.annalakshmi.com.au/
Open Mon - Fri 12 noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10pm, Sat 6.30pm-10pm
No alcohol allowed
Payment is by donation, which is unusual in this sort of definite restaurant surroundings. All waiters etc. are volunteers and the proceeds go to Medical Educational and Cultural Charities of Temple of Fine Arts Inc.
"Eat all you wish and pay what you feel"

GOVINDA'S RESTAURANT (used to be HARE KRISHNA FOOD FOR LIFE)
200 William Street, Northbridge, 6003
Phone (08) 9227 1684
Open Mon - Fri 12 noon-2.30pm, 5.30pm-6.30pm, Sun 5pm-7pm
They also have a great stall at the Subi markets: yummy low cost vego Indian.
Very, very budget! Cafeteria style set up, starving student friendly. All vegan.

FORMOSA VEGETARIAN EATING HOUSE
Utopia Square, 109 James Street, Northbridge
Vegan friendly Chinese, including take away.
Includes totally vego fake meats
(08) 9227 0238

LOTUS VEGETARIAN
& SRI MELAKA VEGETARIAN NYONYA RESTAURANT
1 /220 James Street, Northbridge 6003
Phone (08) 9228 2882 / yongcorp@iinet.net.au
Asian style buffet at the Lotus
+ A la Carte Menu: Nyonya Malaysian Chinese Cuisine.
Dessert Ice Kacang available.
Vegan friendly Chinese.
Includes totally vego fake meats
100% Vegetarian and 95% Vegan
Open Tues - Sun 11.30-2.30pm, 6-9.30pm.
Nyonya Malaysian A la carte Tues - Sun,
All you can eat International Buffet Fri-Sun
Chinese vegetarian shop next door.
Vegetarian Cooking Class last Monday of every month. $15 includes dinner.
Email: yongcorp@iinet.net.au
Web: http://www.yongcorp.com.au/

NEW WOODLANDS MADRAS
9228-1149
291 William Street NORTHBRIDGE
Great range of North Indian and South Indian Vegetarian Delicacies.
Choice of buffet or a la carte.
Specialising in Masala Dosai, Poori Bhaji, Chappathi, Chenna Batura, Thali, Pulau Lassi, etc.
Good quality at reasonable prices
BYO drinks
Nice Indian ambiance and décor – run by attentive and friendly Indian family.

VEGETARIAN MARKET DELICATESSEN / TAKEAWAY
324 Bulwer St, North Perth, 6000 (Cnr of Fitzgerald & Bulwer St) Ph: (08) 9227 0022
Open Tues - Sat, 10.00am - 2.30pm
Take-away Lunch Bar - Vegetarian
Frozen vegetarian soya products and groceries available.Takeaway vegetarian versions of Nyonya Malaysian, Chinese, Indian and popular Western Cuisine.
http://www.yongcorp.com.au/ yongcorp@iinet.net.au

The B List:
These places are mostly (but not totally) vego.
Their food is reliably vegetarian and they have a positive attitude to vego dining.

COUNTRY ROAD CAFE
Right in the CBD: 307-313 Murray St, Perth WA 6000Phone: 08 9321 3700
95% vego this great place for lunches is somewhat surprisingly located within a Country Road clothing store.
It is run by a great Perth vego who is also the author of her own Vegetarian cookbook and has been heard to mumble about opening a pure Vegetarian Restaurant in Perth soon – so lobby, lobby, lobby.

JUICY BEETROOT CAFE
Tum Tum Tree Lane, 132 High St, Fremantle
9433 4488
Not 100% Vegetarian, but good range and vegan friendly.
Great, healthy, home-made food with vegan emphasis.
Usually 7am-5pm Tue-Sun. Great casual atmosphere. Cash-Only
Evening functions by arrangement.

ANAKARLI
Indian
171 James St, Northbridge.
NOT exclusively vego BUT good range of choices.
It is also halal.

SOLFOOD KITCHEN AT MANNA WHOLEFOOD
274 South Terrace, South Fremantle 6162
Phone (08) 9335 7995
Open Mon - Sat 10am-3pm

SANDCASTLE ORGANIC CAFE
9335 2445
11/396 South Tce, South Fremantle
Beautiful food and organic wine and beer.
Classy but comfortable and relaxed. Great for a special night.
Lunch and dinner 7 days.
NOT exclusively vego BUT good range of choices.
It’s really restaurant-style dining and prices, even though it’s called “café”

BAY TREE CAFE
9381-7990
81 Rokeby Rd, Subiaco
50 year old café style Subi fixture. Home cooking emphasis
Mon - Sat 8am-7pm & Sun 10am-7pm
Budget prices, BYO
NOT exclusively vego BUT good range of choices.

THE EARTH MARKET CAFE
375 Hay Street, Subiaco
not open for dinner these days – but does great lunches and has organic food market attached
opposite the Colonnade and behind Chicken Treat is predominantly vegetarian using organic produce.
NOT exclusively vego BUT good range of choices.

HAPPY BUDDHA CHINESE VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
131 Stirling Highway, Nedlands
Ph 6389 1333
Open Tues - Sun 11am-2.30pm, 5pm-10pm
Not 100% Vego

CRUSH JUICE AND SALAD BAR
Ellen Stirling Boulevard (Innaloo) (at Westfield Shopping Centre / WA 6018)
08-9445 8885
Salad-bar, Juice-bar, plus hot foods Not 100% Vegetarian – but good range
crushjuiceandsalads.com.au

EDEN DELICACY
60 Adelaide St, Fremantle WA 6160
08-93353524
Vegan-friendly, Not 100% Vegetarian
Not 100% Vegetarian. Lunch time snack bar, serving Asian style dishes, sushi and pastry items (such as pies). Good vegan range. Also sells frozen "fake meat" products. Not 100% vegetarian.

ORGANICA
Shafto LaneShop 3B, Hay StPerth 6000 WA
Phone: (08) 9321 0345

A partly organic café doing breakfast and lunch in the city.
Menu is almost all vegetarian with one or two meat options (usually chicken).
Nice CBD oasis and good range of organic drinks. BYO, no corkage fee.
They use a lot of organic long-shelf life producst such as rice, coffee etc but fresh fruit and veg is conventional.

XWRAY
3-13 Essex StFremantle 6160 WA
Phone: (08) 9430 9399
Bright, modern space with alfresco dining in the courtyard. XWray offers cafe dining with a menu that is half vegetarian and packed full of organic breads, vegies and other healthy goodies.
Breakfast and lunch with free wireless internet.

SCARBOROUGH WHOLEFOODS
Shop 9 Scarb. Bch Shopping Centre
Scarborough Beach Rd West Coast Hwy (opposite Observation City)

A lovely beach-side health food store turned whole-food café.
Lots of vego food and other healthy options.

Breakfasts, lunches, coffee.

Alfresco deck and funky hand painted furniture.

The C List:
These places are NOT at all vego and don’t pretend to be.

However, they made the “C List” because they reliably offer at least 4 or more genuine vego choices and seem to have an acceptable understanding of what “vegetarian” actually means.

Many have a vego section of their menu.

These ones are particularly good if you’re dining with enthusiastic meat-eaters but you don’t want to asked if you eat chicken and choosing between the salad and the garlic bread.

Red Orchid
524 Beaufort St, Highgate 9228-0720
Contemporary Thai food.
Their menu is uniquely structured. Rather than just offering a few vego dishes and the rest meat, they offer all their dish styles and the customer selects meat or tofu. This gives a great range of vego choices.
Open for lunch and dinner.

Inglewood Hotel
803 Beaufort St Inglewood
Can you believe there’s a suburban pub on my list?
Newly renovated, cosy restaurant, with excellent range of menu choices.

Banzai Japanese Noodle Bar
741 Newcastle St Leederville
Ph: 9227 7990
Open Lunch and dinner.
Groovy modern Japanese with really diverse menu.
Lots of tofu dishes, vege sushi, tempura, soups and noodle dishes.
Delicious, affordable and funky décor. Relaxed service. Offers takeaway too.
Good range of vegan dishes

GREENS
Oxford St, Leederville
This is a cross between a classy lunch bar and a café.
Excellent vego and also decent vegan range.
Breakfast and lunch + they started on dinners in 2005.
Also offer catering and functions.
It’s a casual atmosphere but good food and ever changing local art on the walls.

MOON CAFE
323 William Street, Northbridge
Groovy, 60s-diner themed café, with booths casual retro décor including lots of booths and menus made of old record covers
It offers a gourmet twist on staple fast foods: gourmet burgers, pizza with sexy toppings. They offer several vego choices of pizzas, pastas and great tofu burger.
Breakfast lunch and dinner and open very late on weekends
Licensed or BYO
Where else can ya get cocktails and burgers at 3am?

JACKSONS
483 Beaufort St, Highgate
9328-1177
Multi-award-winning serious fine dining.
Spectacular quality, service and wine list in understated unpretentious surroundings.
They have a “Meals Without Meat” section of their menu giving about six entrée and main choices.

Wild Fig Cafe
34 West Coast Drv Waterman
Groovy seaside café, great for weekend breakfasts and lazy lunches.
Creative décor, great ocean views, indoor and al fresco dining.
Creative interesting menu with excellent vego and vegan options.
They donate a percentage of their takings to The Hunger Project and use free range eggs.

New Norcia Bakery
Scarborough Beach Rd (nr corner Flinders) Mt Hawthorn
9443 4114
Yummy café and bakery stocking New Norcia products.
Open for breakfast and lunch.
Wonderful range of vego options.

The Gala Restaurant
22 Kearns Cr
Ardross 6153 WA
Phone: (08) 9316 3600
The menu is based on European Gourmet Cuisine, light and contemporary. It is owned and run a team of two German master-chefs with a passion for food. Caters for functions and special occasions.
Menu includes a creatiev vegetarian section with several options and they are informed about vegetarian and vegan ingrediants.

Outside Perth
Please note that I have NOT visited most of these and am passing on this information in good faith but can not guarentee it :)

NATURAL TEMPTATION CAFE
Shop 3, Centrepoint Shopping Centre, Bunbury 6230Phone (03) 9791 2559Open Mon - Wed / Fri - Sat 8.30am-5.30pm, Thurs 8.30am-9pm

HEALTHY BEING WHOLEFOODS
(almost vegetarian)Shop 20, Broome Boulevard Shopping Centre, Broome 6725Phone (08) 9192 1217Open Mon - Fri 10.30am-2.30pm

CAFE GNARABUP, PREVELLY
Seafood, vegetarian and Organic
The Boatramp, Mitchell Drive, Prevelly, Margaret River
Mon - Sun 8am-9pm
9757-2747
Mains about $15.
BYO. Pay cash only

NAKED BEAN CAFÉ, ALBANY
14 Peels Pl, Albany
9841 1815 Open: Mon-Sat 8am-5pm (Sat 4pm); Shut: Some Pub Hols; BYO;
No Bookings
In the centre of town this deli/cafe, with its open shop front, is doing a roaring trade. Lots of tasty, but inexpensive treats.
Good vego options and they roast their own coffee beans!

Grants and Funding: Where to Get Money!

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Got a great idea, concept or project which just needs some cash to blossom?

Desparate to change the world but can't afford it?
Involved with an organisation which needs help to make ends meet?

There are literally thousands of sources of grants and funding available in Australia - along with lots of other sources of in-kind support. You just gotta know where to look!

This funding list is a free resource for organisers and it is copy-left: you are free to use it, reproduce it, modify it however you like.

These links are provided in good faith, to link people with the money they need. However, please note that we have no association with any site listed and cannot guarantee the content or functionality.

The internet is a transient place, so keeping it up to date is a constant process. If you know of a site we should add, change or delete, please e-mail it to us.

Types of funding

Grants: usually a formalised application process with strict criteria or time frame. May be government or non-government. Maybe once off or on-going. The most important thing here is demonstrating that your project fits their criteria.
Sponsorship: Usually a corporate organisation, but may also be private or government. The most important thing here is demonstrating that you can offer them great exposure or publicity for their brand.
Prizes and awards: These are cash and other gifts awarded for competitions in particular areas. They are often structured similarly to grants.

Remember: grant success is not just about having a great idea. It is about matching your project to the funding body requirements through writing a great application. If you are new to grant writing, check these links for tips about the process: Learning Place Grant Writing Tips, WA Innovation Guide to Grant Writing, Vernier's list of grant-writing links, or the wonderful Our Community Funding Portal which is FULL of information.

Grant Directories
These fantastic searchable directories will lead you to thousands of individual grant opportunities and are a great starting place if you're not sure what money is out there. Try searching on your project key words eg: “environment”, “music”, “youth”

Check out WA Grants at the WA Grants Directory or On Line WA Grants Section. For regional communities try the Regional Communities Grants Directory
For grants offered nation-wide try these: GrantsLink , Grants Search or Culture and Recreation Portal Grants Finder
Grants from non-government organisations can be found at the Parliamentary Library of Australia

General Sources of Funding

For various types of community funding under many different categories, tryLotterywest, NAB Volunteer Awards, BankWest Sponsorship, Derham Green Fund or Ian Potter Foundation
Community and Business Partnerships Brokerage Service links community organisations with businesses for mutually benificial partnerships and support
For philanthropic trusts refer to The Australian Directory of Philanthropy These are private organisations and individuals who give money to selected causes.
Try service clubs like Rotary Lions Apex or your local Chamber of Commerce
Visit your local council. Many offer grants, funding and other support for stuff going on in their area.
Our Community - fantatsic website and and resource centre, for Australia's 700,000 community organisations. In particular the Community Funding Centre provides wonderful help and resources when applying for funds

Environment Conservation & Heritage Funding

Landcare Australia offers various different grant programs for community groups wanting to improve their local enviroment
National Library Community Heritage Grants are designed to preserve and provide access to nationally significant Australian cultural heritage material held by community groups
Waste Management Board of Western Australia Community Grants Scheme provides funding for small, generally localscale community-based projects that improve the management of waste in Western Australia, or provide technical information to communities about waste management projects to be established near them.
The Gordon Reid Foundation for Conservation exists to help community groups conserve natural habitats and biodiversity
The Department of Environment, WA Environment Awards are designed to acknowledge and celebrate the dedicated Western Australians who strive to protect our unique environment. There are categories for business, individuals and organisations
Perth Biodiversity Project (PBP) through WA Local Government Association
aims to promote the long-term retention, protection and management of local biodiversity in the Perth Metropolitan Region.

Children and Youth

Is it by, with or for young people? Check these out...

For youth initiaitives anywhere in Australia see Foundation for Young Australians Young people can apply themselves!
Youth Grants WA is a state government program which provides funding support for activities that encourage youth participation and the provision of services and facilities for WA young people.
The Gordon Reid Foundation for Youth exists to initiate, implement and progress projects that have an impact on key social issues facing young people.
The Foundation for Children offers grants to improve the health, welfare and well-being of the future of children
St George Foundation provide support to charitable organisations throughout Australia to help them assist children and young people
Save the Children helps not for profit organisations to implement projects which address rights and needs of children
Several of the above organisations, while not youth-specific have special categories for youth grants - or a mandate to fund youth programs. These include Lotterywest and Healthway
For Youth Arts projects in WA try YCulture. It's suitable for first-timers! You can also Join Propelarts (FREE if you're under 25) to receive a fortnightly e-zine which regularly includes new funding opportunities.

Community Development and Social Justice

JB Seed is John Butler's foundation which offers seed grants including social justice / creative activism
United Way is one of the world’s leading organisations dedicated to meeting the urgent needs of disadvantaged people throughout the community.
The Office of Multicultural Interest funds projects and events that facilitate positive interaction among the citizens of our diverse community.
Department for Community Development offers various grants for promoting harmony and celebrating diversity
Dept of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCS) offer the
Volunteer Small Equipment Grant to provide funding of up to $3000 to help organisations purchase equipment in the direct support of volunteers whose work contributes to supporting families and/or strengthening communities.
Paul Newman's Own provides funds for non-profit organisations which receive minimal government funding.
The Peter Brock Foundation has a strong commitment to assisting the community and individuals in times of need with grants for welfare, social issues and community programs.
Australians Working Together - Building Diversity through Dept of Education & Training (WA) aims to enhance learning environments and service delivery so that equitable training and employment outcomes can be achieved by people with a wide variety of backgrounds and skills, particularly those people from the specified groups.
The Myer Foundation exists to support initiatives that address current social justice issues in order to create a more just and equitable society.
The Mary Potter Foundation provides grants to community groups in Australia that actively work towards addressing the human rights and social justice needs of the disadvantaged.
For disability funding try Dept of Employment and Workplace Relations (employers), Disability Services Commission (WA), Dept of Education & Training (WA)
Scanlon Foundation (formerly Brencorp) has a mission“to support the creation of a larger cohesive Australian society” through policy discussion and debate aimed at increasing Australia 's population and promoting independence, empowerment and fulfilment of potential for people/groups from culturally diverse backgrounds

Arts Funding

For Youth Arts projects in WA try YCulture. VERY accessible and suitable for first-timers! You can also Join Propelarts (FREE if you're under 25) to receive a fortnightly e-zine which regularly includes new funding opportunities.
For regional arts funding, in any artform, check out Country Arts WA
For ongoing or once off arts projects promoting healthy messages in WA try Healthway
For any project or concept supporting artists, arts projects and organisations in WA check out Arts WA for a range of grant programs
Australia Council has larger grant programs in the following areas: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts; Community Cultural Development; Dance; Literature; Music; New Media; Theatre and Visual Arts & Craft. (not ideal for first timers)
WA Film and television funding is available through ScreenWest. The Film and Television Institute can help you develop and submit your grant proposals. It also runs a Members Production Group which makes short films using free equipment from FTI.
The Australian Film Commision funds the Australian film industry, including film projects, events and festivals. (not ideal for first timers)
A variety of Community Arts Projects are supported by Community Arts Network WA
Organisations wanting funding for youth music events can try Rampage
For funding, development and promotion of your touring art exhibition, contact Art On the Move
Festivals Australia provides assistance to regional and community Australian festivals for the presentation of quality cultural activities. (not ideal for first timers)
The State Literature Centre supports writers groups and writing festivals across the whole of WA.
JB Seed is John Butler's foundation which offers seed grants in the areas of arts management, music and social justice / creative activism

Business and Enterprise

For starting or growing a small business, the Small Business Development Corporation in the city and statewide network of Business Enterprise Centres offer free advice and assistance in all sorts of areas including finance; marketing; business planning; market research; trade information; exporting; home based business; and regulations and licencing. They also run low-cost skills workshops and offer stacks of free resources including their downloadable small business briefs on a range of topics.
Check out their list of grants for small business
Also consider the Home Based Business Network and Young Business Network for great networking and support for people in the same situation.
The New Enterprise Incentive Scheme assists eligible job seekers who have an idea for a viable new small business to establish their self-employment venture. In addition to training in small business management, business advice and mentor support, NEIS provides you with 12 months of income support (money!) while you get your arts enterprise off the ground.
Federal government grants & funding page lists federal grants available to business
The Export Market Development Grant Scheme provides assistance to Australian exporters seeking out and developing export business by repaying part of their promotional expenses.
Small Business Smart Business is an annual program providing up to $200 towards the cost of any form of training that will help to improve the productivity of a Western Australian small business.
Indigenous Small Business Fund offers funding to Indigenous community based organisations to assist Indigenous people to learn about business, develop good business skills and expand their business.
ENYA’s Micro Finance Fund provides to young entrepreneurs, 16-24 years, entering the business world by offering capital equipment grants and interest free loans.
Small Business Entrepreneurship Program (SBEP) is a merit-based grant program that aims to assist in fostering entrepreneurship, including the growth potential and/or sustainability of small businesses
Busigrants and Business Entry Point both provide information about government funding for businesses

This page is a work in progress. More links coming soon!

Useful Links

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Here are some delicious links for you to sample:

Help with organising a Perth event
Catering Library: borrow catering equipment and crockery for your non-profit event.

Event Venues: Places to consider if you are planning an event in Perth

Promote your Perth Event online: links for FREE on-line calendars and promo sites to let everyone know about your event

Grants and Funding: where to find the money you need!If you would like to know more or be included on our database, please

Organics
Where to Buy Organics provides nationwide link and contact details for organic suppliers.
This page on is on the Biological Farmers of Australia site.

Mimsbrook Farm produces a wide variety of Biodynamic fruit, vegetables and other organic foods. The family farm runs through Community Supported Agriculture which links the public with growers, connecting consumers to the source of their organic food. The grower contracts with a group of consumers like you to provide them with an agreed quantity and variety of freshly picked organic food for the entire season. The consumers agree to pay in advance for the season's output of organic food. Each week over the season they receive a share of whatever organic food is ready for harvest. This arrangement benefits both grower and consumer.

Biobean is a Perth roaster of organic, fair trade coffee.

Mt Lawley Wholefoods is one of the oldest established Organic Food retailers (ORGAA certified) established in 1995. All fruit and veg is supplied by certified organic and biodynamic growers.
They are centrally situated in the Inglewood and will deliver anywhere in Perth and country WA, any day of the week at your convenience.

An Organic Experience provides on-line ordering and deliver of organic food.

Vegetarian
Club-Veg Perth is a yahoo e-group for all Perth vegetarians and vegans to socialise, network and make new freindships within the growing vegetarian community of Perth. Quite a busy list.

Animal food additives list is on the Vic Veg Network site. Jelly anyone?

Cooking with Kurma is the web-home of TV Chef and cookbook author Kurma Dasa. Lots of recipes, workshops, blogging and vegetarian info.

Perth Veg Vegetarian and Vegan Resources for the Perth / Fremantle region of Western Australia. A wonderful local site!

Other ethical food info
Oxfam's Fairtrade Coffee Campaign is all about paying small-scale farmers a fair living wage and bringing you a delicious, ethic brew. You can get the coffee from many retailers or order on-line.

Fair Go Trading are a Perth-based retailer and supplier of Fair Trade and Organic goodies including coffee, tea, chocolate, drinking chocolate and snacks. We also have a selection of fairly traded crafts produced by talented artisans from areas such as Peru, Aceh, Bangladesh, Kashmir and Central Australia.

True Food Network is the Greenpeace site which provides all you need to know about GE foods. Down load the free booklet to learn to which companies use GM foods.

Other Foodie Sites
My South West provides information about SW food suppliers.

Herbies Herbie's Spices fills a need in the community of cooks and food lovers for one central place to access all those hard-to-find herbs and spices. They also stock the easy-to-find ones, of the freshest and best quality, so that you can stock up on all your spices and herbs in one stop. They are based in NSW but mailorder anywhere.

Tinderbox is a small, earthy business based on herbalism. It evolved from a deep love of plants and a fascination to explore the myriad ways of creating usable products from them and is based Balingup West Australia. The Tinderbox hand made, chemical free range includes: herbal teas, skin-care products, herbal remedies and first aid products, home accessories such as cleaning products, air freshener, natural incense, personal toiletries like soap, aftershave and perfume, cooking herbs, dressings and condiments, massage and aromatherapy oils.

Groovy people, places and virtual spaces in Perth
Cityfarm is an organic community garden, education and network centre that operates on permaculture principles. City Farm also supports the local music and art community through regular concerts, festivals and exhibitions. City Farm facilitates government employment and service programs, permaculture tours and workshops for Primary and high school students. They host organic markets every Saturday morning.

Black Dove collective is a member owned "worker collective" formed in the spirit of helping those who feel excluded by the dominant social and economic systems operating in our cities. The principle aims are the establishment of social centres in Perth or Fremantle. The first black dove social centre is located at 54 Cowle St, West Perth. It is in embryonic stages at the moment but needs as many people as possible to make the centre a vibrant hub for arts and activism in Perth.

Active Perth is an open newswire and events calendar with a focus on activism and positive social change in Perth.

Propelarts exists to suport, sustain and propel youth arts and culture in WA

Freecycle Perth - an amazing worldwide e-movement: kinda like e-bay but FREE. Open to anyone who wants to give a local something they'd otherwise just throw away. Whatever it is -- a rug, a CD player, a piano or an old door -- "recycle" it by posting it here. There are daily posts from people giving away their "trash" to become someone else's "treasure". Non-profit groups can join, too but no money is allowed. The Perth group has about 2000 members.

Local Sustainability Links
Environmental Defenders Office is a non-profit, non-government community legal centre specialising in public interest environmental law. They focus on protection of WA’s environment by providing community groups and individuals with environmental legal services including advice, education, representation and opportunity to participate in reform of laws affecting the environment.

Conservation Council is Western Australia's umbrella organisation for community environmental groups. They are a CwaC client!WA Collaboration is a partnership of some of Western Australia's leading non-government organisations, who have joined forces to help create a just and sustainable Western Australia. They are a CwaC client!

The WA Collaboration Ecological Footprint Calculator to calculate your own ecological impact. The WA Collaboration Sustainable Living Guide with easy tips to living more sustainably.

Australian Greens / Greens WA is about a new kind of politics for a just, peaceful and sustainable world. They are a CwaC client!

Environment House is a shopfront community environment campaign centre and eco-products store to support the community to live in a way that respects our environment and future generations.

Fremantle Environmental Resource Network (FERN) is non-profit community organisation comprised of a wide range of community members from the Fremantle area and other concerned citizens who care about the future of the Fremantle Community Garden Centre site. They are a CwaC client!

The Western Australian Government has a Sustainable Living website, which is a 'one-stop-shop' for information on sustainable living from State Government agencies.

Other interesting links
Wild Spaces Flim Festival Australia's only national film festival focused entirely on environmental, social justice and human rights issues. The festival screens annually around Australia showcasing a broad range of documentaries, animations and short films. They are a CwaC client!

Free photos can be obtained from the massive Stock Xchng library. Search for whatever images you want and then download them at high resolution for free use with the photographers blessing.

Please e-mail us if you would like to suggest a link for this page.

What is Ethical Food?

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"What would the person I want to be

do in this situation?"

Ethical consumption

Ethical consumption is all about factoring in where stuff comes from and how it was produced when making our consumption decisions.

It's about using our spending power to support the stuff we want to see more of in the world.

So for example, if you don't support sweatshop labour, you might choose to purchase fair-trade products. If you don't support battery hens, you might choose to purchase free-range eggs.

Ethical Food
Is it really true that we are what we eat? If it were - what would our food choices say about us?

What makes food ethical anyway?

Cooking with a conscience means shopping with a conscience.
At CwaC we customise our menus to customer needs, but we especially love food which is...

vegetarian, green, fair-trade, local, organic, non-GE,
culturally sustainable, ethically marketed,
minimally packaged and cruelty free.

If you want some more food for thought on these issues, click on the links on the right under "Food Issues".

If you would like to know more about ethical consumption in general, have a look at the Ethical Consumer Guide. Their criteria page is a great overview / starting point for anyone wondering how ethical consumption can be assessed. Or if you just wanna cut to the chase, have a look at their supermarket buying guide.

Peter Singer and Jim Mason's book The Ethics of What We Eat, is a great read too.

Surprisingly accessible and easy to read, the book starts with a standard meal enjoyed by three very different families and trace its ingredients back through the production process to see what ethical issues arise. Containing essential information on ethical but practical shopping and dining, The Ethics of What We Eat will forever change the way you look at food.

Too hard basket?

If ethical consumption appeals to you, but the practial realities and information overload make it seem impossible, we can totally relate!

We began the adventure of sustainable eating with great passion:
how wonderful to seek out environmentally and socially sustainable foods which might just be more healthy and better tasting into the bargain.

After all, we naively thought...

how hard can it be to eat for a small planet?

After several years of research, the passion is still there, but the flippancy has mellowed a bit.

The organic industry and sustainable eating movement is still small in Western Australia and supply of many products can be intermittent and expensive.

The more we learn about the complexities and contradictions of what makes food sustainable, the less we feel we can say for sure. Sustainable food is a messy, blurry, debatable area where there are few absolutes.

Is it better to purchase an “organic” tomato if the only certified one available was shipped across the world and comes in three layers of plastic?
Is it better to purchase “locally grown” rice, irrigated in drought-stricken Australia, or to import it from our higher rainfall neighbours?
Is it better to purchase an “organic” brand from a multi-national corporation or a non-certified product grown by a small independent producer?

Also, facing a moral dilema every time you get the tummy-rumbles can be pretty disconcerting!

We reckon food should be fun, delicous, easy, nourishing and affirming - and it's gotta be affordable too!

Even for people who care about the planet and are interested in sustainability issues, ethical consumption can seem all too hard sometimes. How can we possibly know enough to factor in all the complexities of social and environmental sustainability every time we want a quick sandwich?

The good news is, you don't have to know it all to make a difference!

Never let the fact that you can't do everything,

stop you from doing something!

No one has all the answers - but everyone can contribute.

CwaC is about all the wonderful foods we CAN eat.

It's about celebrating sustainable food and showcasing / creating demand for some of the delcious sustainable produce available.

Baby Steps

Why not choose an issue that interests you and take one small step today. Some easy small steps towards ethical consumption are:

support small business (chose an independant supermarket or restaurant rather than a chain or multi-national)
eat a vegetarian meal
enjoy a fair-trade coffee
choose free-range eggs
shop at a growers market (eg: City Farm organic market)
visit a farm on the weekend and find out where your food comes from
try an organic product
enjoy a Slow Food meal
grow something!
take a cooking class
learn to read food labels.

How sustainable / ethical is CwaC?

CwaC is not about having all the answers to sustainable food.
It’s about having fun and eating well while gently sautéing the questions.

Like any good recipe, the trick is balance. In particular, our important sustainability priorities need to be carefully integrated with our other key priority: to provide affordable food for non-profit organisations.

So, we guarantee food is vegetarian and free-range. Beyond that we promise to shop consciously and opt for the most workable mix of local, fair-trade, organic, non-GE, low packaging and affordable - depending on the customer's priorities and budget.

If you have particular requirement such as “all organic” let us know and we will quote accordingly. Otherwise you will be trusting us to select the most sustainable mix of produce based on what is available at the time at an affordable price.

Did I mention fun, original and delicious?

Yum, yum, yum

Come and meet us in the kitchen.

Workshops and Classes

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For upcoming classes, See our new website: www.sourcefoods.com.au

Previous classes below. Please e-mail us if you want to be updated about events.

“A BIT ON THE SIDE”: MAKE YOUR OWN SEXY CONDIMENTS WORKSHOP:
SUNDAY 18 JUNE 2006

Sexy sauces and condiments can really add that extra sparkle to a meal, platter or picnic. But if you usually buy mass produced mayonnaise and commercial pesto, it’s time to taste the difference.

Learn to make your own yummy, preservative free, gourmet condiments, sauces and spreads. These homemade goodies taste better, cost less, are better for you – and great FUN to make: as gifts or just to eat.

In this hands-on class you’ll learn the secrets of making gourmet pesto, mayonnaise, tapenade, dips, pickles and dukkah…then set your creativity loose to invent your own special versions and flavours.

Beginners and experienced cooks are all welcome.

Workshop includes step-by-step demos, individual advice, gourmet ingredients, free recipe booklet, afternoon tea and yummy samples to take home.

Bring your own apron, small containers to take home samples and pen

2pm-5pm, Sunday 18 June held in West Perth.

If you would like to support us but can’t make this one, please forward these details!

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL:
katrina73@iinet.net.au or 9443 7454
The class is valued at $60 – but as our first ever workshop, we are offering places for the introductory price of $20.

Previous Catering

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This page is an event log recording some of the jobs CwaC have done so far.

It gives you an idea of the clients we serve and the food we are into in case you're thinking of hiring us or volunteering.

City of Cockburn Volunteer Lunch
13 November 2006
Held at the wonderful Piney Lakes Environmental Education Centre, this event was an end of year lunch for organsiations in the Melville / Cockburn areas involved in managing volunteers.
We were delighted to provide lunch for everyone in one of Perth's most sustainable buildings!

Wondering Conference
8 November 2006
In early November 2006, the Bold Park Community School hosted an inspiring international conference for people with an interest in the Reggio Emilia system of education.

CwaC provided canapes for 120 delegates at the opening event held at Hale School. Menu highlights included Crispy Parmesan Cups with Avocado Mousse, Pesto Filled Cherry Tomatoes with Fetta and assorted home-made organic quiches and tartlets.

EDO Quiz Night
31 October 2006
The Environmental Defenders' Office is a non-profit, non-government community legal centre specialising in public interest environmental law. It’s legal aid for the environment!

Although the EDO receives some Federal and State funding, fundraising is essential for them to continue to provide free legal services and to undertake litigation to protect WA’s environment.

So CwaC was delighted to provide catering for 350 people at their quiz night. The event was a huge sucess with dinner including gourmet pizzas, mushroom risotto, salad and sushi. We also had a snack menu of cheese and dip platters, home-made muffins and florentines and mini spring rolls.

JAWS Skillshare Training Weekend
20-22 May 2006
CwaC agreed to cater for the “JAWS - Joining Activists With Skills", Skillshare Training Weekend. Although not affiliated with a specific organisation, the event caters for activists from a range of social justice / environmental groups including Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad, The Wilderness Society, Fremantle Anti Nuclear Group (FANG) along with interested individuals.

Held in Dwellingup, it was designed to provide training and skillshare opportunities to help build and reinforce these movements. CwaC provided 400 meals (80 people x 5 meals) plus morning and afternoon teas over two days.The menu included a diverse range of foods including breakfasts of stuffed mushrooms, slow roasted tomatoes and hot pancakes, lunches of pumpkin soup, zucchini frittata and home made “slow food burgers” and a Saturday curry-theme dinner of curries, rice, salads, homemade pickles and chutneys, with apple crumble to follow.

Wild Spaces Flim Festival
October 2005 - Conservation Council WA
Wilds Spaces is Australia's only national film festival focused entirely on environmental, social justice and human rights issues. The festival screens annually around Australia showcasing a broad range of documentaries, animations and short films.

The 2005 Perth screening was hosted at the Film and Television Institute theatre in Fremantle to a sell-out audience of 120 people. CwaC provided a decadent gourmet supper of hand rolled sushi, hot curry puffs, roast vegie lavash wrapes, zucchini and corn fritatta, organic fruit platters with chocolate dipping sauce, cranberry and brie toasts with fresh asparagus and home-made traditional bruschetta.

Carer's Lunch
October 2005 - Australia Huntington's Disease Association
This job was a fun job for a very important group of people: those who care for someone with Huntington's disease.

Food For the Soul
October 2005 - Fremantle Environmental Resource Network
This was a sell-out fundraising dinner for FERN and we created a fully organic, four course, sit down dinner with table service for 90 people.

We started with a variety of "Welcome Toasts" topped with sun dried tomato relish / babagannouj / white-bean and roast garlic spread with red capsicum and followed this up with oven roasted tomato, onion and garlic soup with grilled Turkish bread. Then we moved on to the main course of pumpkin, artichoke and fetta tarts, grilled vegie platter, baked baby potatoes with rosemary and sea salt and spinach salad with chickpeas, beetroot and heritage seed radishes. Dessert was dark chocolate moose with local fruit platter.

Parkerville Children and Youth Care Conference Lunch
March 2006
PCYC is a volunteer-driven organisation which protects and cares for vulnerable children and youth in our community through a range of programs, including their core business of individualised out-of-home care for children with chronic abuse histories.

To support their great work, CwaC was keen to provide morning tea and lunch for a 2-day conference for 25 people.

Sustainability Fair
September 2005 - WA Collaboration for Sustainability
This event was an expo-style fair for people from WA's sustainability movement and CwaC provided a curry-theme buffet dinner for 120. It was a wonderful night and after lots of networking and mingling, guests enjoyed a big buffet of six different curries with all the trimmings followed by dessert.

Greens (WA) Candidates Training Weekend 2004
Australian Greens National Conference - July 2005
Although technically pre-CwaC, these events were where the idea was born.The Greens (WA) training weekend was a residential event for 30 with dinner for 50 on the Saturday. The conference was two lunches for 50 with delegates from all over Australia.

We got such great feedback about the food that we thought there might be a niche for this kind of thing. And there was!

Our food

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Contact us for current menus

SOURCE: cafe & eco-catering

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The non-profit, volunteer run CwaC service is ONLY available to selected non-profit groups.

However, we have had so many requests from individuals, government and business that we created Source: a commercial eco-catering company (open now) and cafe (opening in early 2007).

Catering
Source is a reasonably priced, professional service for individuals and organisations who want our sort of catering but don't qualify as a CwaC client.

The food and ideology are the same. You still get delicious, sustainable food, custom-created to meet your needs.

The difference between CwaC and Source is that CwaC is a non-profit project and Source is a commercial business which does not use volunteers. Source menus can also include some organic and free-range meat products whereas CwaC menus are all vegetarian.

The difference between Source and your average catering company is the way we source our ingrediants: constantly striving for the most sustainable mix.

Contact us: 9443 7454 or e-mail to find out more.

Cafe
Isn't it time Perth had its own eco-cafe?

A welcoming, inner-city oasis with delicious food, great coffee
and the time and passion to source the most environmentally and socially sustainable produce?

Somewhere you can enjoy a free-range breakfast
grab a quick sustainable lunch,
meet friends for fair-trade coffee
or indulge in some organic chocolate cake?

So as you eat your meal, you know you’re treating
the earth gently, the workers fairly and the animals kindly.

Source cafe is opening in early 2007!

289 Beaufort St, Northbridge

Cnr Brisbane St - opposite Brisbane Hotel

Staff wanted

Time for a tea change?

Would you like to help pioneer sustainable hospitality in Perth? We are currently rennovating and looking for paid staff.

Click here for details.

CwaC: non-profit catering for an activist budget!

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CwaC is currently in recess while we establish Source Foods: our new eco-cafe and sustainable catering company.

If you are looking for affordable eco-catering, Source offers great food and service at reasonable rates to everyone and may be able to offer discounts to selected charities and non-profit organisations.

See www.sourcefoods.com.au if you're interested.

The information below regarding CwaC is for historical purposes only.

The non-profit CwaC service is only offered to selected charities and non-government organisations, which we wish to support.

We will consider providing catering for any non-profit organsiation, but we have a preference for organisations and causes which are related to social justice, environmental sustainability, young people or health.

It also depends on the availability of our hard working volunteers and the suitability of your venue logistics.

CwaC clients who can not afford to hire equipment, may like to borrow crockery or catering equipment from our catering library.

If you'd like to use our services but CwaC is unable to assist you on a non-profit basis, consider Source, our commercial service. If you're on a limited budget, talk to us about what your needs are and we may be able to come to an arrangement to offer you a discount price without using volunteers.

Is my event suitable for CwaC service?
The CwaC service is suitable for relatively informal events such as community festivals, fundraisers, family events, casual functions and camps / retreats. It is not recommended for formal events like conferences, formal functions or anything with inflexible timing.

To get an idea of the sort of events suited to our services, have a look at our previous catering page.

If you answer YES to most of the following, we may be able to assist you on a non-profit basis, depending on our availability.

You are a non-profit organisation or charity preferably associated with the environment, peace or social justice (others may be considered)
Your event is at least four weeks away
You are expecting 40-100 people (we may be able to assist larger groups too, so chat with us if you're really keen)
The venue has a kitchen which CwaC can access earlier in the day
You are happy with a completely vegetarian menu
You understand that CwaC staff are volunteers not hospitality professionals and feel that your event will be relaxed and informal enough for this to be appropriate.
You can provide some of your own staff or volunteers to assist (essential for large or complex requirements, desirable for everyone else. Numbers depend on the scope of your event)

If you have any questions, please contact us to discuss your needs.

The Banquet - a poem

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i want a vivid strawberry childhood
with juice dripping down my chin
and just once to eat my ice-cream with no hands

give me endless choice of entrée
with flavours i can’t name
and deliverance from polony on white bread

then stir in daring textured flavours
though a mango-ripened youth
and chilli-tinged adventures, that call me forth

and when my spirit is al denté
i want to feast on life’s desserts
but learn to ask from whence the meal came

in love, let me relish richness
but banish margarine
and lick chocolate mousse from someone else’s soul

add lemon zest to my chance meetings
and flambé my opening nights
but gently-sauté sunday nights at home

let me mature to see past garnish
and give thanks for cups of rice
and feed and nourish others from my stores

let me savour old friends with ceramic pots
of soup they cooked themselves
who break bread with me in ritual that holds my gaze

and when the autumn apple falls
still crisp and tart in age
give me the grace to know the meal is done

and pass on my family recipes
but return enough of me to earth
to fertilise the soil for years to come

By Katrina Bercov

Frequently Asked Questions

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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 below 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.

What is CwaC?
Cooks with a Conscience.

We are a non-profit, eco-catering project which operates as the benevolent arm of Source Foods.

We offer delicious ethics-driven food at a really accessible price to community groups in Perth, Western Australia.

We are a volunteer driven, non profit group of "Activists with Aprons". We love cooking and do this as a service to support the work of some amazing organisations.

Can anyone use the CwaC service?
No. The non-profit service is only offered to selected charities and non-government organisations. See our suitability checklist to see if your event qualifies or just contact us.

It also depends on the availability of our hard working volunteers and the suitability of your event logistics to the service we can offer.

If you'd like to use our services but CwaC is unable to assist you on a non-profit basis, our commercial service Source is available to everyone.

What is Source Foods?
A reasonably priced, professional catering service for individuals and organisations who want our sort of food but don't qualify as a CwaC client.

The food and ideology are the same. The difference is that Source's services are offered on a commercial basis and we do not use volunteers.

Our cafe is opening in early 2007!

Note that while CwaC is exclusively vegetarian, Source offers some non-vegetarian options using free-range, organic meats.

What’s the food like?
Decadent, fresh, beautifully presented, home-made and simple - with generous servings and creativity to burn.

What about alcohol?
Please organise your own. We do not have a liquor license and are unable to sell or supply alcohol.

Why is it all vegetarian?
It’s sustainable, healthy and cruelty-free and we think Western Australia needs a specialist vego caterer. Meat-eating clients are welcome!

Source offers some non-vegetarian options.

What do you cater for?
Anything – including low-budget community events, private parties, gala dinners, residential conferences … you name it!

Check out our previous clients for an idea of some of the jobs we have done in the past!

Is it a professional service?
We aim to be highly professional in terms of customer service, food quality and wow-factor.

However, CwaC clients must remember you are dealing with a voluntary collective – not a professional company. Most of us have day jobs and do this as a hobby.

Source offers a professional commercial service.

Where do the profits go?
As a project of Source Foods, all CwaC bookings go through the Source books.

However, CwaC does catering on a break-even basis and we specialise in pricing miracles for community groups who need 'em! That means that we do jobs "at cost" - charging you only for the food itelf and any direct expenses. Our volunteers do all the work and CwaC donates time, equipment and expertise.

Any surplus funds are retained by Source to keep CwaC running - but there usually aren't any!

Source is a privately owned small business operating on a normal commercial basis.

What is included?
Customised menu, labelled food, serving platters, utensils, cooks and kitchen clean up. Serving staff on request.

What must clients provide?
A venue with equipped kitchen, crockery, cutlery, (Can be hired if needed) plus venue set up and definite numbers! If you wish to provide volunteers to help out, this will keep costs down.

If you can not afford to hire crockery and equipment, you may like to learn more about our catering library.

Why don't you open a cafe? Good idea!
Our Source Foods cafe is opening in early 2007!

How do I book / find out more?
Ask to be added to our free e-mail list or call for a free quote.

e-mail us
Phone: 08 9443 7454 or 040 7454 042

Contact Us

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If you want to talk to us, call 08 9443 7454 or 040 7454 042 or e-mail us.

We are in Perth, Western Australia.

Our cafe is opening in early 2007:

Source
289 Beaufort St, Northbridge
Cnr Brisbane St - opposite Brisbane Hotel
08 9328 1449

If you would like to join our free news list, e-mail us your details and we'll add you to the database.

There are two ways to join:

FRIEND: you'll receive occasional updates about edible-activism, upcoming events and lightly sautéed news. You will not receive any requests to volunteer.
VOLUNTEER: you will recieve the "friend" e-mails plus occasional obligation-free invitations to volunteer to help with cooking for an upcoming event. We only call for volunteers where we are doing a low-cost event for a community organsiation or charity. No experience is necessary.

It is a low traffic, one-direction list. We do not pass on your details on to anyone else and you can be removed at any time.

We would also welcome people’s questions, comments, suggestions – and of course referrals.

Volunteers Wanted

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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.

So we are not currently looking for volunteers. 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 information below regarding CwaC is for historical purposes only.

Have whisk - will travel?

We are currently calling for volunteers to help out with upcoming events!

Join our team of volunteers for good coffee and great conversation as we crank up the music, roll up our sleeves and cook up a storm.

If you register for our volunteer database and you’ll be e-mailed free updates, info and no-obligation invitations to help out at our forthcoming events.

Then you simply respond if you are interested in coming along.

There is no experience necessary and everyone is welcome.

Important note:
Although we also run a business called Source alongside the non-profit CwaC, volunteers are ONLY utilised for non-profit events for charities / NGOs. Anyone working for Source is paid as a normal employee.

We are opening a cafe in early 2007 and are seeking paid staff.
Click here for details or read on if volunteering is more your thing.

We want you if you are any of the following…

a passionate foodie, trained exclusively at the home-dinner-party school-of-catering with pesto runnin’ through your veins
someone who loves that communal cooking experience and is willing to be paid in leftovers
a community minded activist interested in a fun, hands-on way to contribute to sustainability
a raving amateur, keen to learn more about cooking and ethical shopping alternatives for your own life.

Interested?

Please e-mail us or call 08 9443 7454 with any questions.

If you cut and paste the following into an e-mail and then fill it out and send it in, we'll know all about you!

Volunteer Expression of Interest
Please e-mail me with opportunities to volunteer for the Cooks with a Conscience events…

Name:

Postal address (optional):

Wk Phone: Hm: Mob:

e-mail:

I am interested in volunteering the following services (delete ones which don’t apply):

cooking

pre-preparation (chopping vegies)

researching / sourcing ethical foods

shopping

driving / deliveries

kitchen hand / washing up

serving / waiting tables

administration

I am likely to be available (delete ones which don’t apply):

weekdays
weeknights
weekend days
weekend nights

About me
Tell us anything you wish about yourself, any special interests, catering experience or any general comments.

About Cooks with a Conscience

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Gourmet, vegetarian eco-catering — celebrating sustainable food
Activism for the tastebuds!

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 below 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.

Cooks with a Conscience are a collective of talented eco-chefs offering a unique catering alternative to prove just how mouth-watering ethics-driven food can be.

We want to rewrite the recipe books to prove that group catering really can
respect the earth, nourish the soul
meet the budget and still impress the masses!

We are "activists with aprons" whose service is built on:

sustainable ingredients
raising awareness, supporting local producers and exploring food issues
We emphasise food which is vegetarian, fair-trade, local, organic, non-GE, culturally sustainable, ethically marketed, minimally packaged and cruelty free

pricing miracles
we are a non-profit service, staffed by volunteers offering below-cost catering for amazing community groups

celebration and fun
cooking as community building
Join our team of volunteers for good coffee and great conversation as we crank up the music, roll up our sleeves and cook up a storm.

Alternatively, our commercial arm, Source Foods offers a reasonably priced, professional service for individuals and organisations who want our sort of catering but don't qualify as a CwaC client. The food and ideology is the same. The difference is that the service is offered on a commercial basis and we do not use volunteers.

We also run workshops, retreats, tastings and events. Our service is not about having all the answers to sustainable food – it’s about having fun and eating well while gently sautéing the questions.

Would you like Karma with that?