A heat-and-eat ready meal business that promises restaurant-quality food has reached a milestone in helping the homeless and vulnerable.
The Hatted Chef has provided 5000 meals for people doing it tough since launching 18 months ago.
The business offers chef-prepared meals for sale through independent food stores and donates 20 per cent of proceeds (or one free meal for every four sold) to Sunny Street.
They produce five single-serve dishes that are prepared at The Dock Mooloolaba restaurant:
- 12-hour smoked pulled beef brisket
- 12-hour pulled pork
- 12-hour smoked wagyu brisket
- creamy roasted pumpkin risottto
- wild mushroom risotto
The meals are ready in under 15 minutes by dropping the vacuumed-sealed bags into boiling water.
The Hatted Chef began operating at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an idea that had been brewing in the kitchens of Mooloolaba restaurant The Dock Mooloolaba.
Executive chef Chris Sell said the team was delighted to expand its distribution beyond the Sunshine Coast, into Brisbane, and would prepare several hundred meals a week.
“We have just signed a distribution agreement with the Drakes Supermarkets Queensland stores, and they have more than a dozen (stores) just in South-East Queensland, and we are looking to extend to their stores Australia-wide in the future.”
Drakes Stores category manager Jacqueline Walters said they were thrilled to be a retailer for The Hatted Chef.
“At this early stage, sales of the product are excellent,” she said.
“We look forward to seeing further sales growth of this quality product range throughout our stores and hope our involvement with The Hatted Chef goes a way to assisting in feeding the homeless now and in the future.” Ms Walters said.
Mr Sell said The Hatted Chef was also thrilled that their growth benefited vulnerable people in the community.
“We love that we have been able to support the important work of Sunny Street, who provide medical care for the homeless and vulnerable,” Mr Sell said.
“When we first started developing the business, there were a lot of people in need because of the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, so as well as making sure we had work to keep our kitchens open and our staff working, we also wanted to incorporate support for some of those in need.”
Mr Sell said there was a lot to do to bring a new product to grocery stores, so they were grateful to Roz White from White’s IGA, who provided advice and support and agreed to stock the range at her Sunshine Coast stores as part of their Locavore program.
Ms White said she was delighted to be able to support The Hatted Chef.
“It’s a great range that is of a very high-quality, it’s convenient and the servings are generous, and it’s local which we love,” she said.
Mr Sell said The Hatted Chef was growing in production, since they launched with White’s IGA Sunshine Coast stores to more than 30 stores across South-East Queensland.
They were keen to further expand during the next 12 months.
“We are really grateful for all the support we have had both from businesses and our loyal customers,” he said.
“We love that so many have incorporated Hatted Chef meals as part of their weekly menus.
“And it is because of them we have been able to provide 5000 meals to Sunny Street to give to those in need and also grow our team, providing more jobs for locals.”
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Sunny Street’s Dr Nova Evans said homeless people need a range of support.
“So, for us, food starts a conversation,” Dr Evans said.
“It is such a relief to be able to provide meals to those who perhaps haven’t eaten in the last 24 hours and we are able to make sure their bellies are full before they head out into the world to face another day.
“It also means we have been able to feed school-aged children who are in need of a meal so that they can go to school or to sleep at night with a belly full of a nutritious meal.”
Mr Sell said The Hatted Chef will continue to provide meals for the homeless and vulnerable and as the meals go into more stores and are distributed beyond the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, they will be able to provide more meals to those in need.
“From here, we want to continue to grow the business to employ more people, offering the meals in more places, and supporting homelessness in the local communities where our meals are sold,” he said.
