Three heavy hitters of the appliance industry are doing their bit to raise money for charity this month by taking part in the CEO CookOff — an initiative launched by the OzHarvest charity that brings together top chefs and business leaders to cook for the homeless and raise money in the process.
The event was founded by OzHarvest — an organisation that collects unwanted food from restaurants and commercial outlets and delivers it to the needy across Australia — and is supported by major sponsor Qantas. This year’s event in Sydney is also receiving support from Breville, Kenwood and Philips, who are all offering up members of their senior management to act as sous chefs at the event.
On Monday 17 February, Breville Australia GM Jeremy Sargeant, Kenwood ANZ CEO Paolo Albertoni and Philips ANZ MD Alan McCarthy will join 40 celebrity chefs including Neil Perry, Matt Moran and Maggie Beer to prepare fresh meals for 1,000 people in need at Carriageworks in Sydney’s inner west.
Funds raised will go towards OzHarvest’s food rescue programs as well as Australian charities Tribal Warrior and the Life Changing Experiences Foundation, both of which work with young Australians in need.
Speaking about the event, Breville Australia general manager Jeremy Sargeant said:
OzHarvest is an exceptional organisation. The CEO Cookoff highlights that many Australians take access to food for granted. I’m hoping my background in the food appliance industry will place me in good stead when I go head to head with the other participants and chefs, while also raising funds for a great cause.
Thousands of dollars have already been raised, but the appliance industry is yet to crack a spot on the leaderboard. If you’d like to donate to Jeremy Sargeant, Paolo Albertoni or Alan McCarthy, you can check out their individual donation pages on the CEO CookOff website.
Check out the video below from last year’s event to see what it’s all about (and a hat tip to the rather amazing woman playing the spoons at the 1’40 mark).