Two Good's Work Work initiative cooks towards a better future

The team at Two Good flips the stereotype that commercial kitchens are ruled by aggression and flying pots – and a workforce dominated by men.

At the social enterprise, head chef Angie Prendergast-Sceats (with sous-chef Megan Steve) runs an all-woman kitchen as part of the organisation's Work Work program.

The initiative trains women who have been living in refuges (or are long-term unemployed) and helps them find meaningful jobs.

"Some of the women don't get any benefits and having a job means the ability to look forward and see a positive future," Prendergast-Sceats says.

The team cooks Two Good's soups and salads (drawn from recipes by top chefs such as Ben Shewry) and each order they receive pays for an extra meal to be sent to a domestic violence or homeless shelter.

So they learn to cook at high volumes (300 serves at a time, "no mean feat!") and while "there's no way around the fact that kitchens are stressful environments", Prendergast-Sceats is always prioritising the welfare of her workers.

"We are always here for our staff when they need us – whether it is getting them into new housing, a new job or taking them out for their birthday," she says.

If they're under emotional strain, she assigns them to "pick herbs that day or wash dishes and less stressful things". Some participants have already landed jobs at Spice Temple and Harris Farm Markets, thanks to the program.

Two Good's next event is the EquiTable dinner on March 20 at the Old Clare Hotel. "I'm very excited to be cooking alongside Christine Manfield at this dinner," Prendergast-Sceats says.

The event also works on a "buy one, give one" basis, too – where paying guests end up sponsoring a place for someone from crisis accommodation to attend. The chef recalls a previous EquiTable night, where the MC asked all guests to stand up and hug the person on either side of them.

"This meant homeless men and women were hugging strangers who'd they met and dined with, people who had bought a ticket and enjoyed a meal shared. In this moment, everyone [was] friends and there was no sense of us and them."