Locals can eat out while contributing to a worthwhile charity over the next month, with the ‘Plate Up For Love’ fundraiser now underway.

Fifteen Wānaka eateries currently have a ‘Plate Up’ item or dish on their menu and every time a customer orders one, a portion of the purchase price will be donated to local food charity Food for Love.

Offerings include doughnuts at Pembroke Patissiere, pitta at Big Fig, the bs burger at b.social, porridge at Scroggin, gnocchi at Francesca, soup of the day at Relishes, and many more.

Food for Love general manager Jodie Stuart said this was the second year of the Plate Up For Love’ fundraiser, held in partnership with Bayleys Wānaka, and she was delighted that almost twice as many eateries had signed up to participate in 2024.

Thanks to the support of funders, the community and fundraisers like this, the food charity has recently been able to relocate from a storage unit on Frederick Street to a new space on Gordon Road that is double the size, Jodie said.

Read more: New home for Food for Love

"We couldn't do what we do without the support of local businesses and the community,” Jodie said.

Food for Love, a registered charitable trust, was created in 2016 and its mission remains to provide home-cooked meals for families or individuals who are going through a challenging time.

Demand has increased dramatically over that time, with Food for Love preparing over 9,000 meals in the last financial year.

Whether people are facing physical or emotional challenges, the Food for Love meals allows people “to focus on their wellness and their families during those times,” Jodie said.

More than 170 volunteers help prepare, cook and deliver the meals and everything in between and they are the “heart and soul” of the Food for Love operation, she said. 

‘Plate Up For Love’ will run until October 15 and the Food for Love team is encouraging locals to give it a go.

Anyone who purchase ‘Plate Up’ dish will “automatically be supporting someone else in the community,” Jodie said.

Participating eateries include Amigos, Big Fig, b.social, Cardona Hotel, Devour Catering, Dripping Bowl, Federal Diner, Fedeli, Francesca's Italian Kitchen, Hāwea Hotel, Hello Ranger, Pembroke Patisserie, Relishes Cafe, Scroggin Coffee & Eatery, Treehouse, and Urban Grind.

Read about each eatery’s ‘Plate Up’ item, or find out more about the initiative, here.

Listen to Food for Love's Jodie and Bex on The Outlet Podcast.

PHOTO: Wānaka App