Brunswick Open Table

I had begun to question myself as I cycled through sheets of rain on the whiff and promise of a free meal, however, Open Table was more than worth it. Inside Brunswick Neighbourhood House the dining room was packed to the rafters of friendly people from all walks of life, brought together on a mission to meet and eat.

The idea for Open Table grew from a conversation between three friends; Georgia, Tullia  and Jack. Tullia had just arrived back in town after a trip overseas and was excited about a soup kitchen that her friend ran in Malmö, Sweden. This comprised of a regular picnic in the local square provided by leftovers from nearby fancy hotels. Having witnessed widespread food waste in Australia the trio decided to create their own redistributed food event in Melbourne.

An initial group of five organisers ran a six week pilot to gauge interest and iron out any event hiccups. The positive response they received was overwhelming, and it just keeps growing every time a conversation over dinner happens.

Although the pragmatic benefits of such an event are obvious — a healthy and delicious meal from food that would otherwise be wasted — it’s the other benefits which are possibly even more important. All around chatter was flowing, from frivolous to meaningful. Georgia herself has overheard conversations ranging from gardening tips, recipe sharing, stories of migrating to Brunswick in the 50s, through to personal accounts of life in refugee camps that would never make it into the papers. Simply put there really is something special about breaking bread with your neighbours.

Luckily they don’t intend to stop at Brunswick. They have recently teamed up with groups in North Moreland and Fitzroy to develop community meals there, and by the end of the year they hope to have some kind of feast happening regularly in all areas of Melbourne hosted by locals in that area.

Working closely with Second Bite, Food Bank, Sugardough Café, Dench, Cecelia Fox Flowers and Moreland Food Gardens this is one feel good event not to be missed.

Open table runs on the 1st Sunday of every month at 6pm at Brunswick Neighbourhood House, 43a DeCarle Street Brunswick.
To find out more visit facebook.com/opntbl