ALL ABOUT FOOD
I always knew that David Chivers was an interesting person with a wonderful personality, but tonight we learned that he is a clever businessman with an eye for detail - about the past history of food companies, what they need, how they operate and what to do when the times change.
Food distribution is a fascinating process, especially the way David described it. His eye for detail is set in the context of structures. For instance, there are two sources of food in the market - 1. retail 2. Restaurants, cafes, nursing homes, hospitals. Food distribution as state government level includes aged care, jails and public hospitals. At local government level, food distribution issues are involved in meals on wheels, child care and aged care hostels. David's reconaisance of what is happening at each level of government included looking at advertisements in jobs, councils and for chefs. He is an extrremely alert and knowledgeable individual as a result of this. He cited specific examples of army bases such as Puckerpunyal, where ingredients were packed ready for use by chefs on army bases in Melbourne.
Another remarkable feature of food distribution are the three types of food:
1. dry food 2. refrigerated food 3. frozen food.
The requirements for each type of food to be transported and distributed are very specific to each type of food. But, where we know how clever David is, is the way he adjusted to new needs in food distribution. When he confronted the closure of army bases in Melbourne, once the decision was made to move them to Queensland, he pivoted in another direction. While David is not as heavily involved, the food distribution business continues to expand. David proved tonight that food is an extremely important part of life for many of our institutions. It was an enlightening presentation for all of us.