The Acorn Foundation is a registered not-for-profit company that works with children, families and the aged to reduce poverty and poor nutrition through sustainable agricultural and feeding projects, whilst supporting the importance of healthy living, education and sport.
As the exhibition's CSI initiative, Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery in collaboration with the Academy of Chefs arm of the South African Chefs Association have donated exhibition space to create the restaurant where visitors can purchase and enjoy a variety of meals off a specially prepared menu consisting of five varieties of Izi'Talian pastas and sauces, three variations of mussels from Brussels, a selection of sirloin, fillet and rump and Pop Cakes with visitors' favourite breakfast topping; all of which can be washed down with the best Belgian beers.
Says Philippe Frydman, chairman of the Academy of Chefs and food ambassador of the Acorn Foundation, "Apart from offering visitors and exhibitors palate-pleasing dishes not easily found in Gauteng, what makes this initiative all the more satisfying is that 20% of the proceeds will go to the Acorn Foundation."
In addition to the special menu, representatives of the Acorn Foundation will be at Hostex selling its 'Meal in a Bottle' - a nutritionally-balanced meal replacement, made with rice, vegetables, protein, herbs and spices and added vitamins and minerals.
"One Meal in a Bottle costs less than R2 per serving and is able to feed a family of up to 16 people in one sitting. What's more, once the meal is consumed, the empty bottle was designed in such a way that it can be used as a form of 'brick' to build low-cost housing for the less fortunate," comments Rudy Joles, CEO of the Acorn Foundation. "Our target is to sell 12 000 bottles at Hostex, which will allow either two classrooms or clinics to be built in underprivileged communities."
One of the companies exhibiting at Hostex, Vulcan Catering Equipment, has already made a pledge to purchase 100 bottles and is challenging both visitors and exhibitors to beat this pledge.
Concludes Frydman, "On behalf of Hostex, Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery and the Academy of Chefs, I'd like to give a special thanks to the sponsors, FG La Pasta, Global Wrapps, So Not Kobe by Elmic Beef, Pop Cakes, Belgium Trading Co, Oil Fresh and Blue Ocean Mussels. None of this would have been possible without their support."
For more information, go to www.hostex.co.za.
