Strong partnerships create strong communities.
Our vision for creating these strong, sustainable communities led us to partner with Djinda Produce, ensuring our camps are supplied with fresh fruit and vegetables while supporting a First Nations-owned business.
As one of Australia’s leading mining camp catering companies, we need strong, reliable suppliers. But just as important is partnering with those who drive sustainable and inclusive growth. For the last ten years, Djinda Produce has done exactly that.
Together, we’ve built a partnership founded on respect, trust, and a shared commitment to making a positive difference. Over the past decade, this collaboration has fostered cultural connection, economic opportunity, and long-lasting impact in the communities we serve.
Cater Care and Djinda Produce have just celebrated receiving Supply Nation’s 2025 Supplier Diversity Partnership of the Year Award. This recognition underscores our commitment to partnering with Djinda Produce to support First Nations businesses.
The Supplier Diversity Partnership of the Year Award recognises Cater Care’s long-term collaboration with Djinda, built on trust, shared vision, and a commitment to uplifting communities. As our CEO Neil East said:
‘This award reflects our strong collaboration with Djinda Produce. We aim to create opportunities that uplift regional economies and strengthen relationships while delivering excellent service.’
For us, it’s more than a one-time win. It’s encouragement to keep raising the bar on community impact and inclusivity.
Our work with Djinda Produce began in 2015 (then known as Abundance), and it wasn’t just about sourcing fresh fruit and vegetables for our contract catering services in remote WA. As our CEO Neil East said during our event to celebrate ten years with Djinda:
‘From the beginning, Djinda stood for more than just exceptional produce. They represented a shared vision: a commitment to ethical sourcing, a drive for community empowerment, and a deep-rooted focus on sustainability.’
The sentiment is shared by Djinda. Founder and CEO Phil Matera reflected:
‘Cater Care was there from the very beginning. They placed that first order when we were just starting out. And they didn’t stop there. They backed us. Worked with us—not just as a client seeking a supplier, but as a partner. That’s rare. And it’s powerful.’
Watch this video to see the highlights of our shared success.
What started with five employees and a big dream has grown into a 100% Aboriginal-owned business employing 18 people. Now operating out of Perth Airport, Djinda delivers fresh produce to more than 190 sites across Western Australia—including many mining camp catering companies that rely on consistent supply to keep their workforces well nourished.
Their ambition is clear: to become the leading Indigenous provider of food service solutions in Western Australia. It’s one of the reasons we chose to partner with them. Djinda’s focus on ethical growing, responsible sourcing, and supporting Aboriginal communities aligns with our own commitment to sustainable and socially responsible camp catering services across Australia.
To mark the ten-year milestone, Cater Care and Djinda co-hosted a special Secrets From The Chef event in Perth—a night of food, storytelling, and celebration. The menu, designed by Cater Care’s General Manager of Food, Sean Anderson, showcased Djinda’s seasonal produce and native ingredients. One of our biggest joys is celebrating Indigenous culture through food.
As Sean told guests:
‘Every bite tonight has a backstory—and that’s the beauty of working with Djinda. You’re not just tasting food; you’re tasting purpose.’
From kangaroo rubbed with native spices to lemon myrtle and finger limes, each course reflected our shared journey and the deep history of the land. Guests left with full hearts as well as full plates—proof that food, paired with story and purpose, brings people together in powerful ways.
As Phil Matera said on the night:
“Every box of produce that leaves our site carries more than food. It carries … culture. Community. Heritage.”
That’s what makes this partnership so important—not just to Cater Care or Djinda, but to the remote communities we serve across Australia.
Looking ahead, we’re committed to continuing partnerships like this. They don’t just strengthen supply chains; they strengthen communities. They create jobs, foster opportunities, and bring Indigenous-owned businesses into the heart of Australia’s catering and hospitality industries. Whether serving mining camp catering companies their needed fruit and veg supplies like Djinda or delivering remote catering services across the country like us, we know that strong partnerships create lasting impact.
At Cater Care, we’re proud to support First Nations-owned businesses through initiatives like our Indigenous Procurement Plan and our ongoing Reconciliation Action Plan. This collaboration with Djinda Produce shows what’s possible when respect and shared purpose guide the work.
Ten years is both a milestone and a beginning. As Neil East reminded us:
“Djinda is not just a supplier. They’re part of the Cater Care family. We are proud of what we’ve achieved together, and even more excited about what’s still to come.”
