The Issue: A Cotton On Group Publication | Page 24

FOOD
FOR THOUGHT
A F RESH APPROACH TO F UEL ING
MIND AND BODY

Seven o’clock each morning is when the Cotton On
Group’s head office café, The Common, begins to
hum. Breakfasts of granola with yoghurt, green
smoothies and eggs with avocado and tomato
start pouring out of the kitchen. Not to mention
the countless cups of coffee, brewed using the
Group’s own specialty coffee, Mannya Trading
Co. As morning becomes day, the focus shifts to
lunch where organic soups, salads and a variety of
wholesome hot dishes hit the pass.
By the end of the day, the café’s team will have
served an average of 400 coffees, over 300 eggs and
close to 400 meals.
It’s no small task to feed the head office army
of almost 1000 people. But Shaun Petty, The
Common’s head chef, doesn’t just take the task in
his stride, he relishes it.
“Our philosophy is to create honest, good food
that nourishes people and helps to fuel their day
– whether it’s breakfast, lunch or anything inbetween,” Petty says.
Unlike traditional work cafeterias of days gone by,
where pies and hot chips reigned supreme, the
Group’s cafe has a distinct focus on offering food,
and a setting, that feeds both body and mind.
Fundamental to The Common’s offering is sourcing
local and organic produce for the 150 different
dishes created over the course of the year. It gives
Petty the ideal platform to deliver healthy, tasty
food in line with the Group’s strong focus on the
health and wellbeing of its people.
It compliments other initiatives established by the
business such as its head office gym, which gives
the team access to classes and personal training
sessions, and its global wellness programs that
promote work/life balance and mindfulness.

Pippa Grange, Group Executive of People and
Culture, says The Common plays an important
role in the business’ commitment to fostering an
energised, happy and healthy workforce.
“We operate at a really fast pace which could easily
come at the expense of the wellbeing of our people.
So our Health and Wellbeing programs focus on
creating a culture that values looking after ourselves
and one another in a holistic way,” Grange says.
“This of course includes what we eat and being able
to provide quick and easy access to food that is
nourishing and healthy is a really important element
of what we want to offer our team.”
The wellbeing focus is backed by growing research
that demonstrates the benefits of businesses
establishing programs to encourage healthy,
balanced workers.
In its Best Practice Guidelines, the Australian
Workplace Health Association says there is strong
evidence to support the effectiveness of workplace
health initiatives benefiting the wellbeing and
productivity of employees. It cites that ‘a recent
publication identified over 600 national and
international studies had been published in the
past two decades... which provided compelling
evidence that workplace health programs provide a
solid return on investment.’
For Petty, looking after the health of his fellow team
members means more than cooking good food.
“When we hand our dishes over, we want to be
proud of it. It’s not just a plate or a paper bag – it’s
about connecting with our people through great,
wholesome dishes. And it’s our responsibility to
continually live up to that expectation.”
The desire to connect and nourish also extends
into the space from which The Common operates.

The kitchen is surrounded by a large, open plan
dining area where team members can meet with
their colleagues or take a well earned break. This
stretches into an inviting outdoor area, kitted out
with communal tables and landscaped gardens.
It’s a welcomed, well utilised space and one that
Petty and his team continue to evolve. More recently,
a ‘take home’ fridge with readymade meals, milk,
and organic produce has been introduced – aimed
at making life a little easier for the head office team
– whilst a new breakfast bar stocked with locally
produced muesli and bread gives team members
more choice in the morning.
Petty says the additions are just the beginning, with
plans to continue expanding the offering not only in
the Geelong head office, but on a global scale.
“The feedback we get from the country hubs is that
they would love something similar to The Common
in their own region. So the challenge for us is to find
the best way we can translate what we have here on
a global scale.”
Just what shape that takes will be a key focus over
the coming year but Petty is excited about the
prospect.
“Having the opportunity to grow what we do as the
Group keeps expanding, is really exciting. It will give
us another chance to connect with the team through
great tasting, healthy food and,