Meet the social enterprise catering company that’s giving back to the LGBTIQA+ community
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It’s not often that you get served a meal with a side of social politics, but one catering company is making the hospitality industry a more inclusive space, one plate at a time.
Officially launched last week with a Halloween-themed event, Queer Food is a social enterprise catering company and food retailer run by Trans and Queer people that operates on Ngunnawal and Ngambri countries.
Founded by chef Andy de Groot, the idea came to him after working at the award-winning Mabu Mabu in Victoria, inspired by how sharing food with people could give back to different communities.
“After that experience, I realised that I wanted to be to do a similar thing but give back to my own Queer and Trans communities,” he says.
“Following my own experiences in the industry as a transman, I think Queer Food is important because it is an example of how a positive and safe environment can be created in the industry.”
Becoming interested in the hospitality industry after working under William Page – the first Australian to receive a Michelin star in France – during a high school exchange program, Andy believes that cooking is an expression of tradition, experimentation, and connection.
Seeing the food system as something that intersects with everyone’s lives (from communities to health, and the environment), he’s always been passionate about how food can both tell a story and be a way for people to share their own stories.
That’s why all of the items on the menu tell the story of a historic Queer or Trans person or event.
“Our catering boxes all represent events, and our canapés share people’s stories. We use these menu items to share stories of people or events, which otherwise may not have been shared. It also provides space to discuss the challenges that Queer and Trans people face,” he explains.
“A great example of this is our green and gold Hannah Mouncey canapé that shares the story of a well-known trans athlete. I have seen sparks conversations about trans people in sports.”
Going through everything he could find on the National Library Trove database about Queer and Trans people in the ACT and supplementing it with resources from different archives (including the Australia Queer Archives base in Melbourne) the depth of research Andy has done goes beyond hitting the books.
Also working with well know Queer and Trans people from the community to create unique dishes with them, he says that operating as a catering company permits the Queer Food team to take their food and ideas out to external events, allowing them to have a greater impact on the work they’re doing.
“A great example of this is our Dr. Clara Tuck Meng Soo canapé, ayam goreng Chicken with kerabu salad and sambal that represents Dr Clara’s Malaysian heritage,” he says.
“I hope to continue to carve out a safe space and increase the representation of Queer and Trans people, not only through the industry but outside of the industry as well.”
“A big way we are hoping to do that in 2025, is by launching a national retail product range that tells Queer and Trans stories creatively and sustainably through food from different places all around Australia.”
But it’s not all about serving good food.
Also offering an employment training program aimed at addressing the increased unemployment rates that Queer and Trans people face, Queer Food is working hard to make the hospitality industry a more inclusive and diverse space.
“We were honoured to receive the ACT Government LGBTQIA+ Affairs Office Connections grant this year which has allowed us to launch our formal employment training program. As part of this program, we are creating a safer workplace policy for Queer and Trans people, so once that has been created, we will be sharing it more broadly,” says Andy.
“We also have a social impact fund, so that every time someone makes an order or purchase through Queer Food, we put money in a fund that goes towards improving access to Trans medical care or to support other Queer ventures. Lastly, we also run regular community events to give back to the community and create space for local Queer and Trans artists to perform.”
Catering to all dietary requirements as well as cooking and packing food with a strong focus on environmental sustainability, it’s still early days for Queer Food. But with big plans, the future is looking deliciously diverse.
For more information visit queerfood.com.au
