What was it all about?

The Olive Oil Food Service Program, which ran from 2017 to 2019, aimed to increase awareness of Australian extra virgin olive oil (AEVOO) among trainee chefs within their learning environment such as TAFEs and culinary schools.

Following a literature review, some desktop research and interviews with key stakeholders, the team developed key messages that together would increase awareness of the benefits, attributes and properties of AEVOO and encourage its purchase and use.

Outreach materials, including fact sheets and videos, were developed and evaluated to measure change in knowledge among trainee chefs. The resources are suitable to be used by the industry for promotion of AEVOO.

A webpage on the Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (‘Australian everyday’) website was created specifically for chefs where the videos and factsheets are now housed. This webpage is the central point for the rollout of communication strategies to the project’s secondary target audience of established chefs in the foodservice industry.

Visitors to the site can view the videos, download the fact sheets, ask a question of a dietician, get recipes and tips on use. It was promoted through targeted Facebook posts for the month of October 2018 to bring chefs to the page.

The team took the campaign to TAFE colleges in Victoria and New South Wales to showcase the videos and worked to make the resources part of the Certificate III in Commercial Cookery.

The results from the evaluation showed that overall, the project was successful in achieving its aim to increase awareness of the benefits, attributes and properties of AEVOO. There was a positive shift in trainee chefs’ confidence to use AEVOO in variety of different cooking methods. Teachers also found the resources to be informative and easy to implement in class and embed into their curriculum.

ACT NOW

• Visit the chef page of the Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
  
  
• Download the fact sheet on the health and culinary benefits of extra virgin olive oil.
  
  
• Download the fact sheet on how to select a high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
  
  
• Download the fact sheet on why extra virgin olive oil is perfect for cooking.
  
  
• Watch now! Short videos featuring leading chefs using Australian extra virgin olive oil.
  
  
• Get more information about the project in this summary report.