Stockland and celebrity chef Miguel Maestre launch community recipe book

Whether it’s as simple as a Sunday roast dinner or catching up with friends for a barbeque, food has always played a central role in connecting families and communities. To celebrate food tying people and cultures together, Stockland has joined forces with Foodbank Australia and celebrity chef, Miguel Maestre to release ‘Your Community Pantry', a recipe book with over 67 meals contributed by Stockland residents across its NSW Communities: The Gables, Elara, Altrove and Willowdale.

Spreading the joy that food brings with Stockland residents, Miguel Maestre today hosted an interactive outdoor cooking class for residents at Stockland’s Elara community Marsden Park. In celebration of the rich multiculturalism within Stockland communities, Miguel demonstrated his own family Paella recipe.

Miguel Maestre said: “Giving back to the community through food is what I am most passionate about which is why I’m really excited to be a part of launching Your Community Pantry with Stockland. I hope that this recipe book inspires Stockland residents to think about people in their local community who might be doing it tough and reach out to invite them to share a delicious meal.”

Mike Milligan, Project Director at Stockland said: “Like all Australians, our residents missed spending time with their family, friends and neighbours during the pandemic. We’re so pleased that we could provide our residents with an opportunity for a fun, face to face cooking class with Miguel to launch the ‘Your Community Pantry’ cookbook.

“I hope that Your Community Pantry and Stockland’s partnership with Foodbank Australia inspires people to connect, and what better way to do that, than through a shared passion for food.”

For each recipe received from residents, Stockland has donated $60 to Foodbank Australia, raising a total of $4,100, which will help provide 8,200 meals to vulnerable communities in NSW. Foodbank provides food relief to more than 339,200 people in NSW & ACT each month. In its recent 2021 Hunger Report, it revealed that more than one in three people from NSW and the ACT (39%) that were food insecure had never been in that position before.

Ian Laing, GM of Strategic Partnerships from Foodbank said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Stockland to release Your Community Pantry.”

“Despite our efforts, our research shows that demand for food relief in NSW is increasing and the food we supply is not enough to tackle the issue of food insecurity in Australia. That’s why we are so thankful and fortunate to partner with organisations like Stockland, who are committed to joining the fight against hunger and are helping increase access to healthy food for the people of NSW,” Laing said.

Rose Matijevic, Willowdale resident and Your Community Pantry contributor said: “When I found out that the ‘Your Community Pantry’ cookbook was helping charity Foodbank Australia, I felt it was a perfect collaboration and was very proud to be helping others.

Knowing that my community may not have experienced Croatian food before I jumped at the opportunity to share some of my favourite dishes with the broader Stockland community.”

“Last year’s lockdown did not stop my passion for cooking, in fact it influenced new dishes,” said Rose. “I was once the owner of a catering business, so experimenting and trying new recipes is what I love to do.”

Your Community Pantry has been made available to the contributors and all 8,000 residents across The Gables, Elara, Altrove and Willowdale. Now, Stockland is inviting the broader public to get their digital copy of Your Community Pantry so they too can be inspired to make memories cooking with their loved ones and feel the joy that food brings to all of us.