Popular taste of culture

By Lia Bichel
ALMOST 100 people from 20 different ethnic backgrounds donned traditional clothing and shared cultural meals as part of a Harmony Day celebration at Popina Food Services last week.
The Dandenong South company, which specialises in the manufacture of muesli-based cereals and snack bars, has operated for more than 25 years, but this was the first year the company celebrated Harmony Day.
“The business understands the employees are very important and it is important to take time out to really get to know each other and understand each others cultures,” production manager Diane Leist said.
Ms Leist said everyone brought in a plate of food that represented their cultural background and shared it.
“There was such a diversity of foods, from traditional Australian foods, to Asian foods and Italian foods,” she said.
‘There were curries, pastas, stews, and a variety of desserts. There was so much food. There wasn’t a single person who didn’t bring a plate of food.”
Ms Leist said everyone enjoyed themselves and they were looking forward to celebrating Harmony Day again next year.
“It was nice to take the time and share a meal together. It is certainly something we look forward to doing again next year,” she said.