What is The Lost Suppers?
Since going public with “The Lost Suppers” on Instagram, friends and colleagues have been asking me — what is this?
The Lost Suppers is an idea that’s been bubbling in my brain for around for at least four years (which is when I claimed the Instagram handle).
And then… nothing.
In my head I threw around a bunch of ideas of what it could be, but very few made it past the idea stage. I knew I wanted it to be centred around two things that make me most happy; open, meaningful conversations and good food.
Previous theoretical iterations of ‘The Lost Suppers:
(1) a secret dining event
(2) a blog about hosting dinner parties
(3) a food-based podcast
(4) a networking dinner for creatives
(5) a YouTube cooking show
(6) an Airbnb experiences style food tour
(7) a restaurant reviewing instagram account
Whether this ends up being any, all, or none of these remains to be seen.
Throughout my 20’s I hosted a string of food-based, regular social events for friends.
“Waffle Wednesdays” saw a few good friends join me and my flatmates for breakfast before work/uni every week.
“Fish and Fizz” regularly saw about 20+ people cram into another flat for Sunday night fish and chips (Bulk ordered from the iconic Captain Ben’s, on the fringe of the Canterbury Uni campus.
“Tuesday Night Tea” took things beyond just a social — this weekly dinner gathering was not just a change to catch up with friends, it came with a rule… no topic is taboo.. and it became a place where we discussed and debated topics we didn’t feel we were too shy or nervous to discuss anywhere else.
And the pinnacle of these was the “Melbourne Dumpling Club” - who became not only connoisseurs of Melbourne’s dumpling houses, but a beautiful band of friends who remain among the most precious people in my life to this day. Our get togethers were the most hilarious group therapy sessions; as often laid bare our troubles over a cheap-and-cheerful BYO.
Somehow I want to package all that goodness up — the food & the conversations — and share it to the world.
“Perfection is the enemy of progress”
Two things came together this past weekend, that made me realise it was time to take action. One was listening to a podcast with Brandon Stanton, creator of ‘Humans of New York” - in which he talks openly about how (and I’m paraphrasing here) the project found its shape, and its success, by him just going out and doing; rather than having a perfect plan first and then executing it.
The other was spending time with my good friend Courtney, where we just caught up on life - but also came to the realisation that if we want to do something creative, and not let work dominate our entire life, that we have to carve out space for it; and actually just take action.
So after four years of sitting on this - I just decided to launch this out into the universe and see where it goes.
