When it comes to diversity and great food, Vic Park is so well served!
From September 20 to October 9, our Centre facilitated 4 workshops in local venues, teaching people some skills, connecting local residents to businesses and around some seriously good food.
It was a lot of fun to be out on the strip, being part of "restarting" Vic Park after Covid restrictions.
First, we visited the Turkish Kitchen at the southern end of Albany Highway, learnt about different Middle Eastern breads, their wooden oven that never goes off, and the freshest kebab in town.
Ayhan and his crew were so generous with their knowledge and hospitality, it felt like visiting long lost relatives!
We then stopped at Modus, the new kids on the block, for a very hands-on experience whith chef Wade, learning how to pickle zucchinis to make a killer Reuben.
There were knives involved but no one got hurt in the process!
The next stop was Vic Park Larder and the simple - but delicate - process of making potato gnocchi taste soft and delicious.
Gino got us started with a sip of Chianti, told us about his family's connection to Vic Park, and left us all delighted with his perfect gnocchi!
Last but not least, we visited Maureen and her team at Bespoke - they operate a cafe and barista school on the strip, but made hundreds of curry meals free for international students during Covid.
Maureen had an amazing set up to teach the tricks for a perfect Butter Chicken, including how to give the dish a perfect smoked flavour.
When we applied to the Town of Victoria Park grant to help restart the strip after Covid, we were following the community's lead. In a survey during restrictions, 76% of respondents told our Centre they would like to support local businesses.
Thanks to that lead and the grant, we got businesses on board, invited locals to learn some skills, and once again, were in awe of all the good things that spring from when residents, businesses and Council come together in the spirit of community.
Didn't attend the events? Jump on our Facebook page and check out the videos for all of them!