The Humane World for Animals Foundation’s renowned Forward Food program recently collaborated with Shepherds of Good Hope to deliver hands-on culinary training for cooks working across Ottawa’s charitable food sector. Generously funded by the Community Grants Program – Ottawa Community Foundation, the initiative aimed to equip cooks with the skills and inspiration to offer more plant-rich meals in their daily service.
Forward Food is a free culinary resource program that supports foodservice teams in creating more sustainable, compassionate, and cost-effective menus by incorporating plant-rich dishes.
On March 7, 2025, Forward Food and Shepherds of Good Hope co-hosted an innovative culinary education session led by Forward Food’s culinary specialist, Chef Amy Symington. The event brought together 15 cooks from a range of local organizations—including Shepherds of Good Hope, Cornerstone Housing for Women, Belong Ottawa, and St. Joseph’s—who joined forces in the kitchen to explore the power of eating and serving more plant-rich dishes.
Participants prepared over 20 creative dishes, including Caesar salad with tempeh bacon, yam and coconut curry soup with red lentils, soy-ginger pulled jackfruit sandwiches, and wholesome desserts like vanilla chai chia seed pudding and chickpea blondies. The meals were served to Shepherds of Good Hope patrons for lunch and dinner, receiving very positive feedback and a desire for more healthy, plant-rich dishes. The participating cooks expressed enthusiasm for the training and plans to include some of the dishes and concepts into their own operations. One participant noted that the training offered "lots of recipes that work well in a soup kitchen. They aren’t too complicated and are tasty."
Forward Food has two more training sessions scheduled for Ottawa’s charitable food sector this year and is excited to continue supporting organizations in making plant-rich eating more accessible, delicious, and impactful.
About Forward Food:
Forward Food is an innovative culinary resource program that helps the foodservice industry – foodservice management companies, large-scale institutions such as universities and hospitals, restaurants, food distributors, and other operations – to put plants at the centre of the plate. The program offers culinary training, recipes, menu development support, guidance on marketing and communications, educational sessions, and greenhouse gas impact assessments to help foodservice professionals meet the increasing demand for delicious, accessible plant-based options. Forward Food provides services free of charge, and asks those they work with to sign the Forward Food pledge to make their menus or food purchasing more plant-based.
Ready to bring Forward Food to your food service operation? Contact us to learn more!