News
Five weeks and 95,000 meals later …
Black Saturday was of the size and magnitude to test the limits of a huge range of highly trained, experienced service providers – not only the obvious emergency response crews (including firefighters, DSE crews, National Parks personnel, Defense forces, Police and others); but also other providers such as kitchen suppliers.
The call came at 9pm on Black Saturday to provide a kitchen to feed 200 people in Alexandra. No-one anticipated the devastation, the enormous loss, the emotional and physical trauma that was unfolding. It didn’t take long to realise that this emergency was like no other. 
By 3 am the morning after Black Saturday, a team was assembled, the packing had begun and by mid morning a marquee was erected on the Alexandra football oval (with the full complement of tables and chairs); a fully self-contained kitchen and cool room/dry store were in place and cooking had commenced for the first lunch.
At the height of activity a typical day might include 1,400 hot breakfast, 1,500 lunch packs, 1,500 hot dinners, snack packs for fire crews working through the night, continuous tea and coffee – all delivered out of one kitchen.
Three more of our kitchens were deployed at other towns near the scene of the fires throughout the emergency – at Whittlesea, Healesville and Wesburn. Emergency service crews were very impressed by the ease of set-up and the range and volume of food that could be produced.
The kitchens were really put to the test – as were the catering crews involved catering for members of
DSE, CFA Vic & NSW, Police and Emergency Services, SES, Australian Defense Force, evacuees,
Fire Services ACT, WA, NSW, SA; National Parks – Vic, NSW, Tas and last but not least - ‘the Americans.’
Crawford’s were nominated Winner of 2008 Provincial Victoria Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award – an award recognising the entrepreneurial success and real innovation of regional businesses. The award is open to businesses with less than 50 full time staff which demonstrate real innovation and entrepreneurship in a regional community. The award nominations were judged by a panel in association with the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne. AGSE Russell Kenley said that Crawford Collective demonstrates great balance – ‘it supports the local community, has an existing innovative product used in the market place, plus has excellent potential for further innovation.’ The award was presented by Candy Broad (MLC) at Brown Bros, Milawa on 20th Nov, 2008.
A sample of our kitchen projects:
Singapore Day - 3 kitchens to Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
On Saturday 4th October, over 11,000 Singaporeans from Melbourne and other parts of Australia gathered to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Singapore at Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Three of our mobile kitchens formed the hub of 12 hawkers stalls serving fabulous authentic Singaporean delights such as chilli crab and char kway teow.
Check out the following website for more news about the event: https://app.singaporeday.gov.sg/goodies.html
Fine Foods Australia, Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Sept 2008. Simplot Australia staff prepared food in a Crawford kitchen throughout the Fine Foods expo attended by over 20,000 visitors. Staff were very impressed with kitchen’s performance over the 4 days of the event.
Aus Safari
Our latest PK Series kitchen travelled some 7500 km round trip to be used to feed the participants as they belted across the desert - from Kalgoorlie, north to Sandstone, across to Meekatharra, Mt Magnet, to Geraldton and then to Perth. Crawford Catering set up the kitchen and marquee 5 times over 7 days, preparing over 4000 meals (hot breakfast, lunch, dinner). The kitchen performed superbly. All equipment withstood the constant set-up, pack-up and transport extremely well.
Check out the race (to rival Paris to Dakar) on www.australasiansafari.com.au & the action on youtube.
Our kitchen was filmed at Delatite Station, Mansfield for a government funded promotional DVD about living and working in the shire. Check us out using the following link: Visit www.victoriantreechange.com.au
A sample of our successful hires for Aged Care facilities
SE suburbs of Melbourne - A retirement village/nursing home catering for up to 200 residents undertaking a 2 year redevelopment. Management investigated various options to cater for three meals per day. A Crawford mobile kitchen proved to be the best possible solution. See the testimonial.
A PK Series kitchen at a retirement village/nursing home catering for 90 residents in Western Victoria - 4 month renovation.
A PK Series kitchen at a retirement village catering for 75 residents, Noble Park, Victoria – 6 day kitchen floor renovation.