Chefs fire up for lunch

Tristen Rhodes does not mind lending his skills as a chef for a good cause whether it is to help community groups or weary firefighters.

The St John of God Hospital Bunbury chef has been involved in the Chefs’ Long Table Lunch for many years but his efforts in recent weeks in helping during the bushfire near Waroona are commendable.

Mr Rhodes said his contacts at Camp Quality asked him to help out at a base near Waroona to feed firefighters, police and ambulance workers.

“They served around 26,000 meals during an 11-day stretch and on the biggest night there were around 900 people but there were about 600 people during the other nights, ” he said.

“It’s a good feeling to help out, the firefighters come up to you with black and blue faces to say thank you but I reckon I should be the one thanking them.”

Mr Rhodes said now he had returned to his day job as a chef at the hospital, his attention had been turned to the Chefs’ Long Table Lunch on February 28, with his team that included his colleagues Liz Cook, Dominic Cosenza and Amy Chester.

“We are working on a pork dish, we haven’t finalised it but we are thinking about doing an Italian pork sausage, ” he said.

“There’s always a bit of rivalry between the chefs to come up with the best dish but there’s no sabotage, it’s all in good fun.

“It’s a good feeling to know you are helping out for the event because it raises money for some great organisations.”