Let them cook! Canberra CEOs are swapping suits for aprons

Posted on 6 October, 2026

Do you ever wonder what happens when you take a bunch of Canberra business leaders, throw them into a kitchen with some of Australia’s top chefs and ask them to cook for hundreds of hungry guests?

Basically, MasterChef: Canberra edition, minus the immunity pins and with a whole lot more fundraising. Welcome to OzHarvest’s CEO CookOff.

Coming to Canberra’s Red Shed in Acton from 3.30 pm to 9.30 pm on Thursday 15 October, the national fundraising event is swapping suits for aprons as local business leaders team up with some seriously impressive culinary talent to cook and serve gourmet meals for guests from OzHarvest’s community. And yes, the CEOs really will be getting their hands dirty. Aprons on, sleeves up, I say let them cook!

Alongside our local leaders, we have Lachlan Fitzpatrick (Head of Retail at Canberra Airport), Margriet Raxworthy (CEO of Dietitians Australia), and Gerard Benedet (Executive Director of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia).

Joining them in the kitchen is a seriously impressive culinary crew, including Canberra favourites AK Ramakrishna of AK’s Diner and Mal Handslow of Such & Such, and Pilot, Christine Manfield and Zach Green. The Canberra event is part of OzHarvest’s national CEO CookOff, which will see 300 business leaders and 80 leading chefs come together across nine events around Australia. And while there’s plenty of gourmet food involved, the real recipe for the day is all about giving back.

The event aims to raise awareness and raise funds for people experiencing food insecurity, with every dollar raised helping OzHarvest deliver two meals. OzHarvest says more than 350,000 people seek food support every month, while more than 740,000 people are turned away. The organisation currently supports 1500 charities across Australia, with 70 per cent reporting that they need more food.

OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn AO says the event is about putting leadership into action, quite literally.

“This unique event is a powerful showcase of leadership in action, encouraging the nation’s business leaders to step out of their comfort zones, cook alongside world-class chefs and break bread with guests from the charities OzHarvest serves.”

Across the country, this year’s chef lineup highlights 100+ Chef Hats and eight Michelin Stars, with culinary legends including Matt Moran, Neil Perry AM, Danielle Alvarez and Mindy Woods joining the national event – because when your kitchen teammate has eight Michelin Stars between them, a little pressure is fair. And Neil Perry AM, who has supported CEO CookOff for more than a decade, says that the best part is seeing business leaders swap their usual roles for something a little more hands-on.

“There’s nothing quite like the buzz of chefs and business leaders in the kitchen, but the real reason I keep coming back is the incredible experience of cooking for guests who are doing it tough.”

And this isn’t OzHarvest’s first rodeo. Since CEO CookOff began in 2012, the event has raised more than $16 million, helping OzHarvest deliver more than 32 million meals to people in need. This year, the organisation is aiming even bigger, with a $2.5 million fundraising target to help deliver more than five million meals to Australians experiencing food insecurity.

Whether you’re a CEO ready to trade your suit for an apron, a business looking to get involved or simply want to support the cause, there are plenty of ways to get behind the OzHarvest CEO CookOff.

Are you ready? Spots are limited, so sign up, nominate a leader to take part or donate at ceocookoff.com.au.

Images supplied.