Diners can indulge in seared, wild-caught salmon served with roasted carrots, braised lentils and salmon caviar at C Restaurant and feel satisfied their choice will mean someone in need gets a meal.
At least that’s the claim by Mealshare, a new non-profit that wants dining out to mean helping out. It held its second launch in Vancouver Nov. 14.
Mealshare first launched in Vancouver with Darby’s Pub, Aphrodite’s Organic Café and Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen Aug. 28. It’s relaunching to highlight the fact that four more restaurants have joined its fold.
Eligible items of participating restaurants are marked on the menu with a Mealshare logo, a symbol that includes a fork, two plates and an M. For every Mealshare-branded menu item purchased, a meal will be donated to someone in need in Vancouver, Southeast Asia or Africa without any extra costs to the patron, says Derek Juno, creative director of Mealshare. Half will be donated locally and half internationally.
“Food insecurity is a massive problem globally and I’ve been in Southeast Asia volunteering around Cambodia, Laos and I’ve seen it firsthand how people don’t have any food and every day it’s just such a struggle to get food,” Juno said. “And then even in Canada about a million people look for aid from food banks every month.”
Juno said $1 for each branded dish goes to Mealshare, which then passes the money on to Christian non-profits Mission Possible in Vancouver and the international Children’s Hunger Fund. Juno said Mealshare is non-denominational and the three aren’t paying themselves until they partner with 25 restaurants.
John Robertson, general manager of C Restaurant, said the fine dining establishment has always been on the cutting edge of social change.
“With the Ocean Wise [sustainable seafood] program and things of that nature,” he said. “[Mealshare is] painless for everyone concerned… and the results are tangible.”
Mealshare says it’s provided more than 6,600 meals.
Best friends and cousins Andrew Hall and Jeremy Bryant started Mealshare. Juno, who completed business school at the University of Victoria with Hall in 2011, joined them almost
immediately.
All age 24, they initially considered starting a social enterprise where diners would be separated by a glass wall from a soup kitchen where they could see someone benefit from their indulgence. “Then we realized we didn’t know anything about the restaurant industry,” Juno said. “We decided we do know a lot about business so maybe we can take this concept and apply it to restaurants that are already doing amazing things and want to give back.”
Bryant quit his accounting job with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hall with Deloitte Canada, and Juno as development manager for an eco lifestyle store to start the non-profit. Mealshare launched in Edmonton in July but Vancouver has the most restaurants with the addition of C, WHET, Ethical Kitchen and Living Café, with five or six more planning to sign on in December. Each restaurant offers at least two Mealshare dishes and at least one is vegetarian.
“There’re so many opportunities right now in Vancouver where people really want to align what they believe in, their values with their purchases,” Juno said.
Mealshare has contacted dozens of restaurants but snagging a meeting with a busy owner or general manager is challenging, according to Juno. But almost every restaurateur they’ve met with has or plans to sign on.
Mission Possible uses money from Mealshare to buy ingredients that supplement donated food items and Juno says a nutritionist and a chef devise balanced meals that are served on East Hastings Street. Mealshare also operates in Victoria, Calgary and Edmonton.
crossi@vancourier.com
