Cooked started because our founding member and director, Vlad, recognised a gap in employment pathways for young people. He saw that many weren't getting the opportunity to build the skills, confidence and experience they needed in a supportive workplace.

What started as a small coffee van in Daylesford has grown into a hospitality social enterprise with four locations, catering and events, a music initiative and a dedicated hospitality training pathway. But at the heart of it, the idea hasn't changed.

We work with young people who face barriers to inclusion and employment, many of which aren't always visible. Whether it's limited access to networks and opportunities, discrimination, gaps in work experience or navigating the justice system, we recognise that everyone's pathway looks different. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to find their place in the workforce.

Our bigger mission is to reduce youth recidivism in Victoria and create meaningful employment pathways for young people who face systemic barriers to workforce participation. We want to see fewer young people caught in the same cycle and more young people getting the chance to build a future that looks different.

We still care about good coffee, good food and getting a busy service right. But underneath all of that is something bigger: a place where people can get a start, find their feet and have someone believe they can do it.

And sometimes, that's all it takes to get things moving.

That's Cooked.