Cooking up a storm for our community

Feeding a thousand people on Christmas Day is quite an achievement.

For the past five years, Jonathan Heath has done just that.

The South African-born chef spends countless hours preparing food for Samaritans Christmas lunches in Newcastle.

Jonathan says he always wanted to give back to the community.

“I started doing work for abused women and children shelters in Newcastle. I’d cook up big Sunday roasts or Christmas lunches and drop them off,” he says.

“I feel very privileged for what I do have, and I wanted to give back on a larger scale.”

Jonathan decided to volunteer with Samaritans after contacting Christmas Lunch in the Park Event Manager Dana Pichaloff.

In the week leading up to Christmas, Jonathan and a team of helpers cook the food in a kitchen at PCYC Windale.

It is then packaged and transported to Newcastle, where a group of volunteers serve it on the day.

Jonathan says it is inspiring to see the community work together to feed so many people in need.

“The first year I did it out of one of the kitchens I was working in at the time, and I had an entire keg room full of takeaway containers.

“I think I had about 3,500 containers full of food,” he says.

“I’m super appreciative of all the relationships I’ve built with my suppliers in the 11 years that I’ve been in Australia. No one is ever shy to donate, which is great.

“We’re able to feed about 1,000 people with donated food. It just shows how people can band together. It’s cool.”

Jonathan previously worked at renowned restaurants around the Hunter Valley vineyards and in Newcastle before starting his own business, WS Catering.

Despite juggling a heavy workload and a young family, he didn’t hesitate to offer his services for Christmas once again.

“It’s amazing to see people who have so little, be grateful for so little. It is heartbreaking actually,” he says.

“I see kids sitting on Santa’s lap getting one present and being absolutely over the moon.

“Then I go home and look at my kids rip through presents. It really puts things into perspective about how lucky I am as a parent, and we are as a family. That’s why I got into it.”