Get ready for OzHarvest Refettorio, the new Refettorio (a cultural project and community kitchen) for those in need opening in Sydney later this year.
You won’t often see one of the world’s top chefs working in a soup kitchen. But that’s exactly what you’ll find at this daring new dining concept launching in the heart of Surry Hills in late 2020. In fact, it’s the latest project for top Italian chef Massimo Bottura who has teamed up with local social enterprise and food rescue charity OzHarvest to create ‘Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney’, set to open in late 2020.
So, what does the term actually mean? The refettorio concept is all about bringing renowned chefs together, using rescued food to craft inspiring meals for vulnerable people around the globe. This concept is leaps and bounds away from the traditional soup kitchen model, led by a star-studded culinary line-up of chefs and restaurateurs. But the goal of these kitchens are the same: to feed and support the most vulnerable members of communities globally.
This isn’t the first time Massimo has created a kitchen like this. He’s also opened four restaurants like this in Milan, Rio de Janeiro, London and Paris (all part of this Food for Soul program, encouraging organisations, chefs, creatives and food suppliers to unite around the mission of fighting food wastes and inspiring social inclusion).
This latest project sees Massimo team up with OzHarvest’ Ronni Kahn, taking over the former space occupied by the Nepalese Kitchen at 481 Crown Street, Surry Hills. The venue is set to operate as a kitchen for the vulnerable during lunch service, while transforming into an acclaimed restaurant for paying customers for dinner.
The Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney has scored its space courtesy of a generous philanthropist (who gifted the team the site), with David Clark working as a pro-bono creative interior designer and Vince Frost volunteering for the venue’s branding. Currently, the venue is on the hunt for plates, furniture and extra pairs of hands to build the dining room.
While details of the venue are scarce, we’ll keep you updated as soon as they come to hand. Find out more about OzHarvest here.
Feature image credit: Nikki To