Dine Aid Returns This November & December To Fight NZ’s Food Poverty Crisis

Hospitality allrounder Sophie Gilmour tells Viva all about this year’s fundraiser.In a meeting room within her Ponsonby co-working space, Sophie Gilmour sips an ice-cold water as she glances at her laptop, waiting for the next email. Co-owner of The Village and Fatima’s, a hospitality consultant at Delicious Business, Sophie Gilmour (left) with her sister Mimi.Sophie and her sister Mimi grew up in the world of restaurants. Their mother Emerald was a pioneering restaurateur and nightlife owner in the 1970s, 80s and 90s and their childhood came with plenty of skill building – from cooking to hosting, serving and chatting. While Mimi went on to become a hospitality entrepreneur, opening restaurant chains including Burger Burger and Mexico, Sophie chose a career in law. But four years in, she hung up her law robes for an apron. Emerald was less than keen on the idea, but for Sophie, the switch was the most natural decision she’s ever made.It makes total sense when you hear her speak about restaurants and what they mean to her. To Gilmour, restaurants aren’t just a room with food – they are places of gathering, love and joy. “Restaurants are my absolute favourite place to be,” Gilmour says. “On my 40th birthday a few weeks ago, I sat in a restaurant with my family from 1pm until 6pm, and it’s like nirvana for me.”She acknowledges the cost of living crisis is making it harder for people to spend money on hospitality and says even she finds “dining out financially a big stretch now”.But enjoying a meal in a restaurant doesn’t have to be “about spending hundreds of dollars”.“For me, it’s more about the occasion of getting the people around the table,” she says.Lauren Grima (left), Dine Aid campaign co-ordinator, and Sophie Gilmour.Dine Aid data says that as of 2026, 26% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population face moderate to severe food insecurity. Established in 2012, the not-for-profit organisation has been working to bring that number down. Originally launched as a collection of coin boxes across Aotearoa, it has grown into an annual campaign through November and December each year. At any of the supporting restaurants, diners can add $3 to their bill in support of the cause. All proceeds are donated to the City Missions in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.Gilmour joined the board of trustees in 2018. “The way I was raised was that if you have extra of something, you should share it. And if you can do something to help, and you’re in a position to do so, then if not you, then who?” Gilmour says. “Dine Aid really resonates with me because my family is very food-orientated, food-focused, and that is our love language. We cook for each other. We cook for our family and friends. And so the concept of it, food people raising money through serving food and then that money going to feed people that don’t have food, is smack bang in the middle of my wheelhouse.”Participating restaurants this year include many fan favourites. The list of more than 60 includes Gemmayze Street – which Gilmour calls an “OG supporter” – Hello Beastie, Pici, Tempero, and RagTag in Auckland, Capitol, Highwater and Logan Brown in Wellington, Waipara’s Black Estate and Queenstown’s Little Aosta. When it comes to selecting the restaurants, the policy is simple – everyone is always welcome. Since Covid though, Gilmour has intentionally narrowed the focus. To the team, it didn’t feel appropriate to be banging on the door of restaurants asking them to raise money when they were barely keeping the lights on. “So typically, it’s [award-winners] or Michelin-mentioned restaurants this year. The reason for that is that if you have strong systems, you can roll Dine Aid into them super easily. If it’s a tiny little venue with two people that are learning to find their way, it’s way more work,” Gilmour says. “But some people email us and say, ‘Hey, I want to jump in’, and we’re like, ‘Awesome, welcome’.”From the outside, participation may look seamless, but, like any initiative, it takes a lot of time and energy to make it possible. That’s why it is shining more light on the faces putting in the hard yards for the cause this year. Second only to the central cause itself, Gilmour’s top goal is to support the participants. “I would love the public to show positive reinforcement to the venues and their staff because they’re the heroes of this campaign. We provide the mechanism, and then we collect the donations and take 100% of that to the City Mission. But it’s really important that it’s the hospitality staff that are the faces in the front of it,” Gilmour says. “The ultimate dream would be that it inspires people to look at that list of venues and go, ‘I’m going to go and show my support to them because they’re sticking their neck out for others, and so I’m going to stick my neck out for them’. “That would be closing the loop. So that’s something we’re working towards. This is an industry full of really hardworking, really well-meaning people.”Dine Aid’s campaign runs through November and December. Adding $3 to your bill at any participating restaurant, you can help fight food poverty in Aotearoa, with 100% of profits donated directly to City Missions across the country. You can also donate a sum of your choice at dineaid.org.nz. More on food & drink