What is OBK?

What is Our Big Kitchen?

Our Big Kitchen (OBK) is a kosher and halal certified, HACCP approved industrial kitchen located at The Yeshiva Centre in Bondi. The kitchen is open to anyone who wants to use it to empower themselves or to help others. Here is a taste of what we do…Kosher Made Easy.

The kitchen was built by donations and runs on donations – of goods and services, food and most importantly, donations of time by our amazing volunteers.

Our Big Kitchen is all about bringing the community together for good cause – everyone has a stake in it, everyone can participate in it, and everyone can benefit from its facilities and outputs. This is the reason we called it OUR Big Kitchen.

Some of our founding principles include:

  • A Place: where people come to help prepare food for others who may be in crisis or want to celebrate or give thanks.
  • Come Together: Food preparation is just one product of coming together. Of equal importance is the sense of being together with others and engaging in conversations, interacting, getting to know one another. It is this social contact that is the mortar for our community.
  • People Of All Walks of Life Come: Not just a place for the employed or the employee. Rather it is a place that brings together anyone who has time and a desire to help others in our community, whatever their situation, stage of life or religious beliefs.
  • Helping Those In Need: Whilst the Kitchen is the focal point it reaches out to both those who have a need and to those who wish to serve.
  • Strengthening Our Community. Through the act of coming together and through service people experience the joy of receiving through the act of giving.

The kitchen is open to anyone who wants to use it to empower themselves or to help others. Here is a taste of what we do…

 

Community service/volunteer programs

  • Group cook-ins for a causeIf you have a group of friends who want to make a difference, or feel like you just want to do something good, bring them into the kitchen for a fun, hands-on cooking experience. We can help you put together a menu, source the ingredients and find a worthy cause to support. MORE
  • Cooking therapy for the disabledWe have a number of different facilities for the disabled using the kitchen as part of their program. Participants are split up according to their needs levels and their supervisors guide them with preparing, cooking and cleaning up. Others who are more capable come in to learn about cooking and developing their own product for sale. Contact us for more information
  • School P&F fundraisers and programsWe provide a kosher catering facility for schools in our community. School parents come in and make food to use for fundraising or to give to families in times of need. Let us help with your school program too! MORE

 

Kids in the kitchen

  • Kids’ birthday parties with a difference!

    Our Big Kitchen Parties are designed to be a fun, exciting, rewarding and charitable experience for the kids, whilst minimizing the stress of the birthday party for the parents. With Our Big Kitchen Parties children will have the opportunity to cook some yummy delicacies and not only try some and take a bag home, they also have the option to donate a portion of their baking to a charity of their choice. MORE

  • School excursions & community service programsWe help schools with their community service curriculum by enabling students to come in to the kitchen and prepare food for charity. This can either be on weekday afternoons from 4-6pm or schools can contact us to set up their own time and date. MORE
  • School holiday programsLooking for a fun way to entertain the kids during the school holidays? Our Big Kitchen can develop a program to keep the kids busy while teaching them about cooking and giving. Contact us to discuss your needs.

 

Team building and corporate events

  • Our Big Kitchen can provide a facility for your team building or social responsibility program. We regularly host groups of employees from companies like Suncorp and Accenture, who come in for a program especially designed to suit their need. MORE

 

 

 

 

Cooking demonstrations & functions

  • Cooking demonstrationsDo you and your friends want to learn how to cook or improve your culinary skills? We have contacts with top chefs and educators who are willing to give their time to us. All you need to do is to bring along a crowd! MORE
  • Singles cooking eveningsA fantastic way for young and not-so-young singles to interact in a relaxed, fun environment…who knows, you might just find that true love you’ve been looking for at OBK! Tell us if you and your friends are interested and we’ll set up an evening for you. To get started, go to our create event page.

 

Party decorations for your next event

  • ‘Our Big Party’ is a free lending service that provides decorations for parties and functions. We also have a huge selection of dress up items for kids which are available for parties, purim etc. The service is free of charge, with just a cash deposit required. Contact us for more info.

 

 

Advisory Board

Our Big Kitchen has a advisory board its members are:

  • Peter Debnam – Chair                                        Bio – Peter Debnam
  • Rabbi Dovid Slavin                                             Bio – Rabbi Dovid Slavin
  • David Kirby Q.C., B.A., LLB (Hons)                     Bio – David Kirby
  • Richard Andrews                                               Bio – Richard Andrews
  • Mary-Lou Jarvis                                                 Bio – Mary lou
  • Chris McFerran
  • Jeremy Clarke                                                   Bio – Jeremy Clarke
  • Rabbi Yossi Segelman

 

Our Big Kitchen Limited Board Charter – Click for PDF

 

Our partners

Our Big Kitchen could not function without the generous support of our partners and friends. Please support them too: