Social impact meets sustainability for Cassette’s dinner series with social enterprise Scarf

Assemble’s neighbourhood café Cassette in Kensington is partnering with social enterprise Scarf for a 10-week Autumn dinner series beginning on Wednesday 15 March 2023. An exciting venue partnership where social impact meets sustainability, Scarf transforms the lives of young people through hospitality training conducted in an inclusive and supportive learning environment.  

Scarf is a not-for-profit social enterprise that supports young people seeking protection and those from refugee and migrant backgrounds to get a start in Melbourne’s hospitality industry. Through hands-on, in-service training and with support from experienced hospitality mentors, Scarf’s program aims to empower trainees through real, paid work experience with the skills, knowledge and networks needed to build confidence in themselves and to unlock future work opportunities.   

Since 2010, and after over 100 hospitality partnerships, Scarf has reached some impressive milestones with over 300 young people graduating from their program, facilitating more than 18,000 hours of training and mentoring, and over 10,000 hours of paid work experience undertaken by trainees (which equates to over quarter of a million dollars paid in award wages). This dinners series will be Scarf’s first program based in Melbourne’s west and has been a real convergence of community bringing this venue partnership to fruition.  

“Scarf is a values-based organisation and collaborating with a business which has such a strong commitment to sustainability and their local community feels like a perfect match. We can’t wait to kick off this partnership with the wonderful Cassette team, and have no doubt we’ll be able to create a valuable and safe learning and workspace for our newest trainee cohort.”  

Hannah Brennan, Scarf’s CEO 

A two-course, locally sourced menu at $55 per person has been crafted by Cassette’s head chef Laura Boulton and her team with the dinner service to be run by newly engaged Scarf trainees and their mentors. Open since August 2022, this will mark the beginning of Cassette’s turn as a dinnertime destination and a full-circle career moment for Laura who participated as a Scarf mentor back in 2014.  

“I know first-hand how life-changing Scarf’s program can be for these young people. Seeing how safe and inclusive these programs are and how much trainees would grow in confidence each week, both in themselves and their new skillsets, was incredibly rewarding to be a part of. We’re thrilled to host the Scarf community here at Cassette and throw our locally sourced, root-to-stalk spin on this dinner series.” said Laura Boulton, Cassette’s Head Chef.  

Held for a limited Autumn season from 15 March to 10 May 2023 at 399 Macaulay Road, Kensington, find out more about social enterprise Scarf and make your reservation for this dinner series via the booking link here.