FAQs

In 2025, A Taste of Harmony coincides with the holy month of Ramadan (likely to take place from 27 Feb to 29 March 2025). During this time those observing Ramadan will fast during the day meaning they will be unable to take part in food events during this time. For this reason, we have expanded our dates from 17 March until 18 April 2025. A Taste of Harmony provides an opportunity for workplaces to build cultural understanding and empathy for practicing Muslims through education around Ramadan. In March, use of resources and guides to promote empathy and respect for those observing Ramadan in your workplace. Once Ramadan is complete, organise your food event for everyone to enjoy!

This year, we’ve expanded A Taste of Harmony activities so that workplaces can enjoy taking part in a safe, easy and enjoyable way. This might be a virtual event, creation of a cookbook or a team discussion around cultural diversity.

To learn more, check out our how it works page. Or email contact@tasteofharmony.org.au to find out more!

A Taste of Harmony is an annual initiative in which Australian workplaces can take part in a range of activities to celebrate and recognise cultural diversity at work.

Firstly, please register your workplace. It is four quick steps and only takes a couple of minutes.

Here are five ways you can take part in A Taste of Harmony 2024:

1. Host an event – in person or virtually with your team – using food as a way to share your culture with your teammates. We recommend small team events will result in the most meaningful conversation either via zoom or within a covid safe environment.

2. Create a company or team cookbook with much loved recipes to showcase the cultures of your team.

3. Create opportunities for team members to share their stories. Take inspiration from the ‘Living Libraries’ or ‘Speed Dating’ initiatives.

4. Support your local restaurants and cafes by ordering in food and exploring the different cultures that make-up your local area.

5. Utilise the A Taste of Harmony fact sheets to have a discussion around cultural diversity in the workplace. Navigate your way as a team through common challenges and agree to a team charter for all team members to embrace and follow.

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.

For more ideas, check out our ideas page here: www.tasteofharmony.org.au/ideas

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 to share a meal.

One idea is 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 wait staff to cook for the chefs?

Or take inspiration from our hero ambassador Guy Grossi. His team share a meal together at least once a week and take it in turn to cook for each other taking inspiration from their culture.

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.

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

A Taste of Harmony aligns with National Harmony Week which takes place on 20 – 26 March 2023. Both initiatives are designed to allow Australians to recognise and celebrate our cultural diversity. Harmony Day offers activities for schools, communities, sporting organisations and government. A Taste of Harmony is a specific initiative designed for workplaces to celebrate their cultural diversity.

More information can be found about Harmony Day by visiting www.harmony.gov.au

We understand that some workplaces have restrictions on bringing food into the workplace. If your workplace has in-house catering facilities, see if your caterers can offer range of different foods during A Taste of Harmony dates that represent your workplace diversity.

You also do not need to be limited to food. Encourage staff to come in cultural dress, compile a playlist of all the national anthems that represent your team’s cultural background or invite a guest speaker to come and talk about their story and cultural heritage.

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 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.