As the weight of lockdown 2.0 bears heavy on South Australia’s hospitality and tourism sectors, three chefs — Emma McCaskill (ex-Sparkke at the Whitmore), Paul Baker (ex-Botanic Gardens Restaurant) and Brad Sappenburghs (Comida) — want to bring their restaurants to you… And try to save their staff.
Launched in March to much applause, after the first wave of COVID-19 restrictions were implemented in the state, McCaskill and Baker have joined Sappenburghs for another round of their fancy meals on wheels.
It’s a meal delivery service, first and foremost, for people who may not be able to leave their house to access the supermarket and essential services that are open during lockdown. But, with what was once a self-assured industry in tatters, Chefs on Wheels (COW) is a means of keeping casual workers employed during the pandemic.
Pumping out ready meals means the chefs are able to keep some staff employed and, crucially, doing something, while the rest of the state is at a standstill. This year’s pandemic has shone a bright light on the precarious nature of casual work in Australia — a means to financial stability for hundreds of thousands of workers across the country.
The concept works much like many other larger meal delivery service does, the only twist is COW’s meals don’t require any assembly. You also won’t find any gloopy, industrial sauces, sad mushy pasta or frozen mixed veg here either. Aside from wine delivery, what more could you want than an actual chef-cooked meal delivered to your door, ready to pop in the oven.
The menu comprises dishes from each chef’s own home-rotation as well as restaurant faves. Everything’s conveniently listed by cuisine or chef so you can select something you fancy, or someone you fancy cooking for you. There are also bundles for nights when you’re feeling really flush, like “Paul’s Italian night” with enough sausage lasagne, garlic bread and tiramisu to feed four or five hungry people.
Find out more at https://chefsonwheels.com.au/.
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