Community-minded catering at Warrandyte High
by Ken Seery
7th September 2026
SCHOOL LUNCHES have just got yummier at Warrandyte High School (WHS).
Social enterprise café Now and Not Yet (NaNY) has stepped in to revitalise the school’s canteen and has been providing delicious treats — as well as coffee for teachers and staff — since August 18.
WHS Principal Luke Ventieri said the staff were queuing up for NaNY’s signature, roasted-in-Warrandyte, Social Brew coffees, while the revamped canteen’s delicious hot chocolates were a big hit with students.
WHS School Captain Isla says the new collaboration is “awesome”.
She added that NaNY’s not-for-profit ethos and practice of giving back to the Warrandyte community were attractive to the student cohort, while the variety in menu offerings and the friendly NaNY staff have also gained kudos from the student body.
“The students are over the moon”, she said.
“It also creates opportunities for students to develop relationships across year levels through a good meeting place with a fun vibe”.
Mr Ventieri said NaNY’s social enterprise model is a good fit for the high school, and he is excited by potential training and work opportunities for students.
He said the NaNY team had been very receptive to menu suggestions from the students and hopes they can add pre-paid ordering and VCE express lines in the future.
Now and Not Yet founder Derek Bradshaw said he had been approached by various schools with canteen opportunities over the past few years.
“Warrandyte High is the only one we said yes to,” he said.
NaNY does have a Coffee Van at Donvale Christian College, run by Andrew and Chelsea, who both live with an intellectual disability.
Backed by training, Andrew and Chelsea have gained valuable workplace and customer service experience — opportunities that were previously hard to come by due to their disability.
This is another example of what can be achieved through collaboration between school, the community, and local businesses.
With the canteen collaboration being a much larger project, there is hope these sorts of outcomes can be boosted ten-fold at Warrandyte High School.
Through the café, Mr Bradshaw supports asylum seekers, victims of domestic violence, and people facing housing insecurity, making a collaboration with NaNY more than just a catering contract.
Mr Ventieri said NaNY’s local-focused giving back model is another valuable learning opportunity for students and aligns with the school’s values of Respect, Integrity, Strength and Excellence.
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