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It’s a simple meal which means much more than just a good feed.

Each weekday morning, students and staff from St Joseph’s College in Brisbane’s Gregory Terrace run Eddie’s Van to serve a breakfast of sausages, eggs and buttered bread to between 25 and 45 homeless people.

“It allows homeless people in Brisbane to start their day off with a substantial meal and a conversation,” Paul Antenucci, Head of Campus Ministry at St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace said of the school’s involvement.

“Eddie’s Van helps to create a place a community and allows those attending to feel connected with others.

“While the boys are there to help, there is no question that doing so has a big impact on them. It helps them to understand the circumstance some of these people are in; we see them developing connections with each other.

“The program also leads to greater conversations within the school community about the issues of homelessness and social justice.”

The concept for Eddie’s Van was developed in 1998 staff & students of St Joseph’s College. Today, Eddie’s Van is a mainstay of comfort for Brisbane’s homeless.

Each day the school has four to five students volunteering at Eddie’s Van and there is a waiting list of other students who want to get involved as well.

The students are drawn from the Year 11 and 12 populations with some Year 10 students also participating. Each morning at 6.15, student volunteers meet up with two or three staff volunteers, regardless of the weather or season.

Eddie’s Van also has a presence on the street of a night, staffed by former students of St Joseph’s College serving tea, coffee and soup.

“Yesterday morning we took the new group of students to work at Eddie’s Van and they were all really intrigued,” Mr Antenucci said in early February. “And after a quick chat, they often find they have a lot in common.

“We find that serving a meal is a simple and practical way of helping both the physical health and morale of some of those living on the street. What we also really emphasise to our students is the importance of having a conversation and to have a consistent presence once they agree to be part of the program.

“Each year we have done this, we have found a little community is formed and genuine connections are made. There are some gentlemen I have been interacting with personally for nine years now.”

Mr Antennuci said programs such as Eddie’s Van could only exist with the support of companies which donate food supplies and funding, including Stanbroke.

“Stanbroke has been a supporter of ours for six years now and provides all the sausages which are served for breakfast,” he explained.

“The company has also provided financial support for Eddie’s Van. It is that kind of support which makes our program sustainable.

“And it is clear these programs are important and they matter.”

Stanbroke’s Managing Director Brendan Menegazzo said the company was incredibly proud to support those in the community most in need while also building empathy and understanding in tomorrow’s future leaders.

Eddie’s Van can be found opposite the Brisbane Private Hospital on Wickham Terrace each weekday morning from 7am.

One of Australia’s largest beef producers is bucking the trend when it comes to marketing with the launch of their new Steak School digital platform.

In what is a rare move for an Australian beef producer, Stanbroke has launched a new interactive website designed to educate, entertain and engage meat-eaters.

Steak School includes articles, blogs and videos about the best cuts of meat for specific dishes, the best way to cook a perfect steak and loads of recipes.

“The philosophy behind Steak School is to share, inspire, connect and educate,” Stanbroke’s marketing manager Jonathan Elsley said.

“We didn’t want to speak at our customers, we wanted to speak with them; engage in a conversation about our mutual love of beef. We also wanted to provide a platform that added value through education rather than selling.

“Beef is such a premium source of protein and so many don’t want to ruin a good piece of steak by overcooking it. Unfortunately this can create fear, leaving many meat-eaters to opt for safe or known cuts and tried and tested recipes.

“We want to move away from that and just talk about a delicious cut of beef. At the end of the day, the first step in cooking a good piece of steak is buying a good piece of steak.”
Elsley said Stanbroke didn’t have to look far for inspiration for its new marketing approach.

“We were very much inspired by the wine industry and their approach to connecting with their customers,” he said. “Over the past 20 to 30 years the wine industry has taken an educational and awareness-driven approach to help people better understand their product and hopefully learn to enjoy it more.”

Elsey said while Australians had happily included beef as part of their weekly menu for generations, there is still plenty of scope to educate about how to get the best flavour out of your beef.

“The website was designed to be interactive,” he said. “Through Steak School we hope to encourage beef-eaters to reconsider what are often referred to as ‘secondary cuts’. Terms like this are misleading and our sector has really done itself a disservice by using the term because they are not flawed cuts of meat; it’s the complete opposite as they often have such beautiful beefy flavours and attributes.”

Steak School was developed for Stanbroke by digital agency The Content Division. Its director of strategy, Kurt Sanders, said the role of Steak School is gloriously straightforward.

“Steak School is an entertaining, educational conduit between the people Stanbroke talks to every day – chefs, butchers, beef experts, smoke BBQ masters – and consumers who either love beef, but are confused by it or just want to know more about cooking it,” he said.

Sanders said Steak School was driven by what beef eaters wanted rather than what the industry wanted.

“The beef industry in Australia is very traditional,” he said. “What Stanbroke is doing with Steak School is innovative for such a traditional market. It provides a strong and trusted platform that engages and creates advocacy.

“It shows that Stanbroke has an eye on what the future consumer looks like.”

Steak School has engaged with some of Australia’s top chefs to share their learnings through easy to use recipes and tips on how to buy and prepare certain cuts.

The Content Division has also engaged with key influencers and well-known barbecue masters to road test lesser-known cuts and share their knowledge and tips.

Further content will include videos, short and concise articles and events all with one goal – to educate and raise awareness about good quality beef.

“Stanbroke’s products are of insanely high quality, and we had to do something very special to ensure we maintain that quality while continuing their ethos of working directly with their consumers,” Sanders said.

“Instead of opting for long-winded pieces of writing that go into great detail, we have opted for engaging content that cuts straight to the point and answers questions that we all have.

“By creating an authoritative, but fun platform we believe Steak School will become the go-to destination when it comes to beef. Despite only just launching we are already seeing such a strong organic presence and engagement level.”

This article first appeared on Beef Central.