Businesses across the country hosted events for RUOK Day with many centered around food and promoting mental and emotional vulnerability. But the company that prepares a lot of these meals thinks about vulnerability every day.

When Chris Anca first started her small business, Chris’ Kitchen, in 2017 she realised there was something missing. A former national advisor to the UN, working closely with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Ms Anca found herself asking an essential question. 

Of the work recommendations RUOK day makes, events featuring meals form a significant theme. With advice on how to hold breakfasts, morning teas or barbecues, RUOK promotes that these events can prompt meaningful conversations and trust. The one factor Ms Anca found lacking, however, was inclusivity.

“Sometimes when we cater for corporate functions they want us to be there to talk about the food and what we do. By being there I got to witness people’s reactions when they approach the buffet, and say ‘I am coeliac’ or ‘I am allergic to this, what can I have?’ When I say, you can literally have everything, their face just changes.”

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2022, almost 10 per cent of Australians reported that they had a food allergy. Ms Anca found that by making her foods cater to almost all dietary requirements — halal, kosher, gluten-free, vegan and with nut-free options too, people felt more included and appreciated.

“You can be paid six figures, but if you don’t feel like your company cares for you like your colleague who doesn’t have any allergies, you’ll feel like an afterthought.”

Ms Anca’s first year in Australia was tough. With a highly accomplished resume but a new environment to work with, she found herself almost a year without work, severely impacting her mental health. That was when she made the decision to incorporate a double impact strategy, employing staff who experienced difficulty finding work: people with disabilities, language barriers and survivors of domestic violence or abuse.

Jacob, a kitchen hand at Chris’ Kitchen for the past four years, said he had seen Ms Anca’s impact first hand. He said the best experiences had been working with people he wouldn’t have worked with otherwise, and seeing the practice of RUOK thinking going beyond just a single day.

He said: “Give people a chance. Help people as much as you can. People need to be supportive, and more aware.”

Jacob and Chetna, who also works at Chris’ Kitchen, begin working on the RUOK day cookies a week prior to RUOK day, baking and decorating them. Ms Anca said the baked treats serve as  a communication prompt. The cookies can take up to three days to prepare, with 500 cookies delivered to organisations this year for their RUOK day events.

They hope that with time, more organisations will move on from their traditions and incorporate more inclusive practices that better reflect the connection between welfare and food.