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When the Prahran market’s traders were informed last Wednesday night that a COVID-19-positive customer had visited the market and it would have to shut for cleaning, millions of dollars of fresh food was put in peril.
The exposure meant the stalls had to close for up to 10 days. But instead of simply throwing it out, traders have donated thousands of kilograms of produce to good causes.
One seafood trader donated 400 kilograms of premium fish because he wanted to do some good in a hard time.
Paul Hamilton, Michelle Sam, Hendrik Roessmann, Anita Seferian and Thomas Bullough pitch in while most of Q Le Baker’s staff are isolating. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
FareShare Victoria kitchen manager Crickette DerJeu said the fish – including toothfish, blue cod, King George whiting and blue fin tuna – would be made into more than 3000 free meals for the disadvantaged.
Mrs DerJeu said she spoke to Periwinkle Fine Seafood owner Ting Gao on Friday. “And he said, ‘you can take everything’.”
It was an amazing gift to clients, Mrs DerJeu said, “They absolutely will love it. They’ll just feel very special to have a beautiful meal. We’re so blessed that these people are thinking of us.”
Prahran Market general manager Simon Ward praised the “super generous traders” who had donated an estimated 2000 kilograms of fruit and vegetables, 1000 kilograms of seafood, and several hundred kilograms each of dairy products and ready-to-eat meals.
Some of the meals made by FareShare from fish donated by Periwinkle Fine Seafood. Credit:FareShare
Recipients included FareShare, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, OzHarvest and SecondBite.
Last Wednesday night, Prahran Market’s traders were informed by the Department of Health that for about 90 minutes on Saturday, July 17, a COVID-19-positive customer had visited the market.
While the market re-opened on Friday after a deep clean, many businesses have had to close until next Sunday, or to slash opening hours.
This is because all staff at the market during the exposure period on July 17 must isolate at home until 11.59pm on July 31. Traders can use replacement staff, but many have been unable to find any.
Trucks loaded at Prahran Market with produce donated by Reliable Fruit, to go to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.
On Sunday, just 23 of the market’s 70 outlets opened.
Among them was bakery Q Le Baker, whose owner Marion David said luckily her head baker, Hendrik Roessmann, was on holiday when the COVID-19 positive customer visited.
This means Mr Roessmann can work, but 12 of her staff are isolating at home. Mr Roessmann’s partner, Anita, and Ms David’s sister, Michelle, are among friends who are doing shifts.
“It’s been amazing,” Ms David said. “Everyone’s putting their hand up, wanting to help.”
Prahran Market trader Ting Gao, owner of Periwinkle Fine Seafood, is isolating at home.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, said that on Saturday the market’s Reliable Fruit stall donated more than 100 boxes of fruit and vegetables that would feed over 300 families.
Mr Karapanagiotidis said he was “humbled and so grateful” for the gesture of “love, compassion and decency”.
Periwinkle Fine Seafood owner Ting Gao said his business was closed while staff, including him and his wife and daughter, isolated at home because the job was too specialist for replacements to be found in time.
“It is bad luck for me and my family, and my staff,” he said. “But I wish the bad feelings end with me. I want to pass the good and positive things to others and society, let them feel warm this winter.”
”That is the reason I donate all of my high-quality seafoods.”
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