Host a Harvest Lunch

Food Ladder is empowering future generations to grow food in the community, to improve nutrition whilst protecting the environment and enhancing the local economy.

You can host a Food Ladder Harvest Lunch to raise money for a disadvantaged school to receive a School System and to start their Food Ladder journey! This could be at home, in your workplace, or in your local community.  

Simply sign up to the Food Ladder platform,  notify us by emailing [email protected], select a range of recipes from the Online Platform , or ask your guests to share their favourite recipes and gather around a long table to enjoy a scrumptious lunch and start the conversation about food insecurity within your networks .

Follow these easy steps to host a Food Ladder Harvest Lunch:

  • Register to host at home, in your workplace, or in your local community. Create a fundraising project here and share your event with friends and family and ask them to contribute to help you reach your goal.
  • Start planning your guest list and curating your menu. Then start sending your invitations.
  • We have an abundance of helpful resources on the Food Ladder Online Platform to ensure your Harvest Lunch is a success. You can even download an invitation to kindly  ask for donations and gifts in kind from your local community, print out banners and posters, a menu guide, and start shopping for your ingredients.
  • Send a calendar reminder for your guests and start planning the decorations.
  • Time to gather and feast at your very own Harvest Lunch! Don’t forget to take some pictures and share your event using the #foodladderharvestlunch hashtag.

Harvest Lunch Menu

Download our easily editable menu guides to create your harvest lunch menu.

Tips on Hosting your Lunch

  • Choose a theme – this could be centred around seasonality, cuisine, destination or colour.
  • Make lists – for shopping, preparation and organisation and include  jobs like table decoration
  •  Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) – Select menu items that fall within your budget and include some dishes you can prepare the day before – this doesn’t mean the food needs to be boring! Most of the recipes on the Food Ladder Platform can be cooked within 30 minutes.  Another simple option is to fire up the bbq if it is a sunny day.
  • Decorate your table and home with Food Ladder banners, table flyers and the paper flag cupcake toppers.  Pick some local flowers or greenery to decorate your tables too!
  • Plan a welcome drink for arrival & have some snacks ready for when your guests arrive.
  • Use seasonal produce from your local farmers market where possible.
  • Reach out to Food Ladder if you have any questions!

Invitations and Name Card Templates

Download all these resources, as well as cut out paper food toppers!