Providing their experiences to apprentice chefs, local producers and other members of the community, Professor Patrick McGorry, Maggie Beer, and Ronni Kahn had some great advice on how to change people’s lives.

Although the discussion was dominated by food, this did not leave Professor McGorry out of the mix, as the group incorporated how a good meal can make all the difference to one’s mental health.

“Food is far more than just tastes in the mouth,” Mrs Beer said.

“If you love to cook and not just cook for the sake of it, you enjoy sharing a table.

“You enjoy cooking and sharing food for your community and your family and appreciate how food is raised.”

Mrs Beer also added in her role as Senior Australian of the Year she was advocating for better food service in aged care, helping many aspects of health.

Australia’s 2010 Local Hero, Ronni Kahn, also said there was no reason why something like her service, OzHarvest, could not be started in Mudgee.

OzHarvest delivers surplus foods from cafes, restaurants, TAFEs, fruit markets, delis and the like to charities who run food services for the less fortunate.

“Obviously in Mudgee you would not need the same amount of personnel as we have in Sydney but I encourage people to start something like OzHarvest for regional communities,” she said.

Mrs Beer also said Mudgee had the potential to change the way many think about food.

“With such a wealth of farmers, growers, and producers in this region it is important to make the most of it and take the food to the people,” she said

But how is it all possible?

2010 Australian of the Year and an advocate for mental health, Patrick McGorry summed it up best when he said you have to be prepared to do more and achieve at more than one goal.

“When you do one thing you soon realise you have to do another and then another,” he said.