'We're devastated': Tasty Plate founders shocked, saddened over closure

Helen and Richard Ridgwell came up with the concept to give their son Simon and other people with a disability a place to train for open employment.

"We are devastated," Ms Ridgwell told The Standard.

"My family is devastated. The broader community is devastated.

"My husband and I have had over 300 phone calls from all over, including interstate and overseas."

Ms Ridgwell said the closure came as a complete shock.

She told The Standard the two came up with the concept in 2008.

"I want to express my sincere thanks to the original board of Realise Enterprises," Ms Ridgwell said.

"We couldn't have done it without them."

She said the committee worked for three years to get the concept off the ground before Tasty Plate was born in 2011.

Ms Ridgwell said she wanted to pass on her best wishes to everyone who had taken part in the training program and moved on to open employment.

She said the members of the region's disability community were all supporting each other after the shock news.

"We are a strong community and we are putting our arms around each other," she said.

On Wednesday, Vicki Jones shared her disappointment over Tasty Plate's closure.

Her daughter Sheridan Jones, 36, is in a wheelchair after a battle with brain cancer 10 years ago.

She worked at Tasty Plate one day a week, travelling from Mortlake.

"She is absolutely gutted," Mrs Jones said.

"The abrupt closure of Tasty Plate has left a gaping hole.

"There were no goodbyes - only a text and email."

Mrs Jones expressed her gratitude to Tasty Plate's staff.

"Sheridan developed better social skills by working in an uplifting, fun and inspiring environment."

Her daughter, who also works one day a week at The Little Acorn in Terang, had a goal to increase her employment to two days a week in 2024.

"Now those hopes are dashed," Mrs Jones said.

"I don't know what she will do.

"Sheridan was engaged with the community as a valued team member through meaningful work.

"The staff were incredible - they provided personalised learning in a very supportive environment."

Mrs Jones said she couldn't understand why the community wasn't urged to support the business if it was struggling financially.

Tasty Plate was responsible for preparing dozens of people with a disability for open employment.

In November 2023 The Standard reported Michael Edwards had landed his dream job after taking part in the Tasty Plate program.

Mr Edwards started at Tasty Plate's Fairy Street base and more recently with its catering enterprise at South West TAFE and the city library, but he's also spread his wings to work two days a week with Southside Espresso and Gin Bar in Timor Street.

At the time, Tasty Plate executive manager Realise Enterprises Division with Brophy Family and Youth Services, Maree Wyse, predicted there would be more success stories to come.

"Nationally there's only 53 per cent employment participation for adult people with disability and 68 per cent of people with disability have one or more employment restrictions - barriers to them gaining employment," she said.

"However, 88 per cent of people with disability who are employed wage or salary earners do not require support to work.

"Our focus is to give people skills so they can do a job anywhere without additional support and that they can make the most of those skills.

"Hospitality has been identified as an area where people with disabilities who have the skills could be working at award rates and we want to find more workplaces that are willing to understand these opportunities."

Ms Ridgwell told The Standard in 2013 "a little miracle" occurred almost every week in the kitchen of the Tasty Plate catering business.

Tasty Plate began with four trainees in a former church hall in Manifold Street.

The demand for its catering and the increase in its staff meant it outgrew its original premises in little more than two years, The Standard reported.

Tasty Plate was established by a local committee without any government funding but receives a government "fee for service" to pay for the high support needs of its trainees.

Ms Ridgwell was part of the founding committee and one of the reasons she got involved was because her son, who lives with a disability, wanted a job and no one would employ him.

Ms Ridgwell said Tasty Plate's success was about young people with disabilities "having a go".

"Give them the opportunity and they make the most of it," she said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tasty Plate prepared hundreds of frozen meals for vulnerable members of the community.