Having too many chefs in the kitchen is no longer a bad thing, thanks to The Collective’s newest initiative – a project that will see New Zealand’s top chefs creating delicious new Collective yoghurts in support of New Zealand charities.
‘Chefs for Good’ will see a line-up of iconic Kiwi chefs collaborate with The Collective to create their own gourmet probiotic yoghurts, which will be sold nationwide with proceeds going to the charity of each chef’s choice.
The Collective was co-founded nearly 9 years ago by Angus Allan & Ofer Shenhav, both chefs. “We believe everyone deserves great food, so we’re stoked to now be working with some amazing chefs with the same passion and desire to help our communities through food,” says Angus.
“Taste has always been paramount, so it’s been very cool to see the unique flavour combos they have come up with. It’s both inspiring and humbling that chefs we admire have been so enthusiastic about this project, and keen to get involved, offering their time for free”.
The chefs involved in the project are:
Al Brown
Al Brown is the owner of Depot, Federal Street Deli and Best Ugly Bagels, a TV presenter, and a bestselling cookbook author. His chosen charity is Garden to Table, a programme that aims to change the way kiwi kids think about food, by teaching them how to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh, seasonal food.
Brown has been an ambassador for Garden to Table since 2012. Having grown up on a farm, he is proud to have lived off the land for the first part of his life. Understanding and respecting where food comes from has always been important to him, so Garden to Table is a charity close to his heart.
Josh Emett
Emett is an ex-Master Chef judge, and owner of a number of restaurants – Rata, Ostro, five Madam Woo restaurants and the latest, Hawker & Roll. His chosen charity is Melanoma New Zealand, a trust devoted to raising awareness to help present death and suffering from this disease. Emett chose Melanoma New Zealand in memory of his late father, who passed away from this six years ago.
Michael Meredith
Michael is a Founder of Eat My Lunch, and previous owner of Merediths, in Auckland. He has chosen the Fred Hollows Foundation, an organisation aiming to eliminate avoidable blindness through training doctors and nurses, strengthening health systems, and driving innovation and research.
Meredith has personal experience dealing with blindness, after living with someone in Samoa with cataracts. He believes sight is an important part of our everyday existence, and he is thrilled to support Fred Hollows incredible work giving people in the Pacific nations their sight back.
Peter Gordon
Author of ten cookbooks, owner of Bellota, The Sugar Club, plus renowned restaurant Providores, in London. Peters chosen charity is The New Zealand LAM (lymphangioleiomyomatosis) Charitable Trust, who supports research of, and women with this rare lung disease.
Gordon has a long history supporting The LAM Charitable Trust, as a close friend of this suffers from the disease. He has cooked for a number of fundraising events and he is thrilled to be supporting them again through Chefs for Good.
The Collective’s Chefs for Good yoghurt will be hitting supermarket shelves throughout the year, proceeds from each tub sold donated to a deserving New Zealand charity.
