Frequently Asked Questions

A Taste of Harmony is simple, delicious and free to participate! Here are 3 easy steps to get involved:

• Register your workplace here: http://www.tasteofharmony.org.au/register
• Organise a date for your A Taste of Harmony event and remind workmates to bring in a dish that represents their cultural background, or cook a dish from a culture they have never tried before.
• Enjoy a multicultural lunch at work while finding out more about your colleagues backgrounds!

No problem! Here are a few ideas:

• Request that colleagues bring in some food that reflects their cultural background and place it buffet-style, so that it can be grazed on during the day by staff as they take their lunch-break.
• Organise a morning or afternoon tea instead.
• Consider a dinner after working hours and combine it with another work celebration.
• Organise smaller groups to go for lunch together at the one time.
• Encourage your work canteen or cafe to offer special A Taste of Harmony meals during the week.

• Learn to cook a new cuisine
  Challenge your colleagues to learn to cook something new. Make a list of all the nationalities in your office (encourage people to look back through generations of their family if they are not sure). Put all of the countries into a hat and have each staff member pull one out. Workers then bring in a dish that reflects the country they have picked.
   
• Show your culture through national dress
  Why be limited by lunch? Ask colleagues to dress-up for the day in national costumes representing their cultural background.
   
• Organise a cooking demonstration
  Is there a particularly talented chef in your workplace? Or have you envied the lunch of the colleague sitting next to you and would like to learn how to make it? Organise a cooking demonstration or chef 'masterclass' to kick off your A Taste of Harmony celebration.
   
• Recipe book
  Encourage employees to share their recipes and turn the contributions into a workplace A Taste of Harmony recipe book. 

As one of the most culturally diverse industries in Australia, restaurants are strongly encouraged to get involved in A Taste of Harmony. Restaurants can participate by registering their workplace and getting colleagues together and sharing a meal.

Managing cultural diversity is important for all organisations, but knowing where to start can be difficult. Click here for further information on diversity in the workplace.

Yes! Once you register your business, we'll send you a free promotional pack, which will give you further details about how to promote A Taste of Harmony at your workplace.

Most local councils have guidelines about safe food preparation and handling. Here is a link to some basic food safety information, which you might like to distribute throughout your organisation ahead of your A Taste of Harmony celebration.

Promotional packs will be sent to all registered participants prior to the start of A Taste of Harmony. Mail distribution will begin in February all the way through until the beginning of the week.

Make sure your organisation is registered and then start thinking about ideas to bring A Taste of Harmony to your workplace. Once you've registered, we'll send you more information about how to organise and promote A Taste of Harmony within your organisation.

The Scanlon Foundation is pleased to be able to supply every registered workplace with a ‘starter’ promotional pack. The pack will contain a poster, napkins, balloons and table toppers and the pack will be sent out to everyone who registers and requests a pack. Unfortunately we cannot fully cater for all A Taste of Harmony events. If you require additional materials for your A Taste of Harmony event please visit your nearest Woolworths or craft stores to supplement your pack.

Make sure your organisation is registered and then start thinking about ideas to bring A Taste of Harmony to your workplace. Once you've registered, we'll send you more information about how to organise and promote A Taste of Harmony within your organisation.

After the lunch trade is finished for the day swap roles for your A Taste of Harmony lunch event! Instead of the chefs cooking, why not encourage the waiting staff to cook for the chefs.

A Taste of Harmony focuses on the participation of workplaces only and is not asking restaurants to host lunch specials during the week. Restaurants can still participate by registering their workplace and sharing lunch with their colleagues.