Our Executive Chef, Toby Beaton knows that volunteers and athletes need fuel and he’s made sure to order in plenty of healthy food and fruit.

The Darwin Convention Centre is catering for the Arafura Games 2019 to supply the 1500 athletes, 800-plus volunteers and teams of technical officials who have been working for the multi-sports event since competition started on Saturday, 27 April.

Beaton has ordered in enough bread, smoked salmon, ham, chicken, cheese, eggs, and tomatoes to make up to 7000 lunch and dinner packs to be delivered across four venues, including the Convention Centre, during the Games.

There’s been 4,000 pieces of fruit (40 boxes), 7,400 cookies, 40 packs of catering size cheese plus 400 baguettes, 60 loaves of rye, and 120 loaves of sliced bread to make up sandwiches.

His order sheet also includes 3,100 salad items plus 6500 bottles of water for the workforce alone.

But the catering is about more than just numbers. If done right, Darwin-born Beaton said the meals provide an essential source of nourishment and comfort for many young athletes who find themselves far from home and the volunteers who are working long hours to ensure the Games run smoothly.

“It is very important to an athlete, especially those away from home for the first time, and volunteers who are working in a new environment, that they have a regular routine of lunch and dinner with a range of nutritious balanced meals to be able to perform at their best,” he said.