Passion8 in voluntary administration

July 19, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
Read on for article

Key Sydney communal service provider Passion8 Catering has been placed into voluntary administration with the view of restructuring the business.

Passion8“As the community’s fundraiser, facilitator and planner JCA has an interest in ensuring that this critical piece of social infrastructure in the NSW Jewish community is maintained.  Among Passion8’s many clients are COA and the Jewish day schools.  Passion8 supplies 600 meals a week to COA and provides the kosher catering services which are the backbone of school camps.  JCA sees it as essential that these critical services continue. ”, said Ian Sandler, Chief Executive Officer.

A management team has been appointed, with the backing of the community to assess the situation, recommend a restructure of the company and create a viable plan going forward.  Respected members of the community with experience in these areas have been drafted onto this team and are working with both the administrators and Passion8 management.

The voluntary administration process is not expected to extend beyond mid-August, by which time it is hopeful that a restructure plan will have been put in place. Notwithstanding the voluntary administration, all functions currently booked with Passion8 up until the end of August (including those on 1 September) will go ahead as planned.

For more information please contact the administrators Manfred Holzman or Justin Holzman on 9222 9070 or contact the directors Steve Edelmuth, Stan Kahn or Graham Flax on 9418-8922.

Comments

12 Responses to “Passion8 in voluntary administration”
  1. Monty says:

    I agree with the comments that Passion 8 have delivered a wonderful service to the Jewish community in Sydney. In the presence of the financial difficulties created by the GFC how much of an extra load was placed on the shoulders of the caterer by contracting to the K.A. in Sydney. In this connection it would be of interest to know what percentage of kosher catering costs are attributable to the kashrut Authority? Also why is it that the K.A. does not recognize kashrut originating in Melbourne where the costs are less.?
    Perhaps ironing out this difficulty may go some way to making kosher catering more viable in this city and the burden on the caterer easier to handle. .

  2. issy says:

    I have something to tell the Rabbis son.

    Your claim that management are at fault is a presumption without knowledge and if you really want to know who is at fault then perhaps you should investigate what part the Beth Din have played in this.

    I have had dealings with the management and they are not only hard working and honest but CAPABLE people.

  3. Dani says:

    This is very disturbing news, I have seen first hand how hard the staff and owners of Passion 8 work and to have their business just crumble like this is upsetting.

    People making comments about the JCA bailing them out are wide of the mark.

    As a Jewish Community we need to stand behind Passion 8 and help them in anyway we can.

    They are not just another Jewish- owned business… They cater for the community and Sydney needs them to be operational.

    As for the KA- that is another story…

    Well done to the JCA for stepping in and trying to keep them going.

  4. Peter says:

    The criticism of JCA’s potential intervention is totally unjustified as surely one has to credit the experienced JCA executives with the insight of knowing which Jewish owned business is deserving of assistance or not.
    Knowing the partners of Passion8 intimately I can attest to the fact that it is hard to find such honest, sincere, dedicated, generous, capable and hard working individuals who were unfortunately subjected to a shrinking market of kosher functions, small margins, increasing competition and exorbitant costs for kosher meat with no chance of sourcing it outside of Sydney.
    They are truly deserving of whatever assistance and support they can get from either Jewish institutions or individuals in our community

  5. Ian says:

    To clarify, JCA is not using communal funds to “bail out” a private business. The team at Passion8 have been an integral part of our communal and JCA structure, supporting and often subsidising costs at events, at our constituents and to people in the community in need. It is not purely a commercial venture in that sense. Lending intellectual help to a situation and people that have been a close part of the JCA and communal family is something we can give freely and with a good heart. It is our generosity of spirit as Jewish people, looking after our own, that makes us the strong and vibrant community that we are.

  6. Giovannino says:

    As Managing Director of Navarra Venues, I have dealt with a variety of different caterers. I have had the pleasure to work with the directors of Passion 8 and I can strongly state that I have never seen more hands on, conscientious hard working business owners. After operating a business of my own for the past 40 years, I can understand the complexity and dedication that must be acquired when building a strong establishment. Giving up valuable family and personal time, night’s on end and weekends in order to gain success is not an easy task therefore I can completely understand the hardship they are experiencing.

    • Leizer says:

      Giovanni you have summed it up Devotion dedication and PASSION. Yet to find another caterer that takes on every function as it is their own
      Passion 8 takes koshef to anothef level………….

  7. Erp says:

    At face value this does appear the case Benseon. Let’s wait for the fine print before we pass judgement and jump to conclusions.

  8. Benseon Apple says:

    I am shocked.

    Is this what the community’s donations to the JCA are going towards – bailing out a private kosher caterer?!

    Surely the financial woes of a prestigious and well known business like Passion8 are the fault of the management and it is not up to our communal funding body to pick up the pieces?

    Does this also mean that any Jewish-owned business can now call upon the JCA to help it out of financial difficulty?

    • Sam says:

      I could not agree more. This was my initial reaction too upon reading this post.

    • Jonathan says:

      Your comments are shocking and destructive.

      As the son of a rabbi you have no standing to make comments about how the community should be allocating their funds.

      Passion8 gives to the community daily and generously… and when doing business, I would guess that there are probably not great margins either.

      You and I need to show true outrage! Meaningful and well directed outrage toward those within our community who would stand behind their cloak of Yiddishkite whilst fleecing each and everyone of us trying to keep kosher. Why should I be paying $40 per kg for kosher Bola at Coles when a perfectly good (better in fact) alternative non-kosher silverside costs $9 per kg? Can you please direct a little bit of your anger toward the powers that be within our community to whom we pay this differential. Perhaps they can shed some light for me and others like me struggling to fulfil the mitzvah of kashrut.

      I implore you to get off your high horse, become informed and make grand declarations to the benefit of our community.

      • Benseon Apple says:

        “As the son of a rabbi you have no standing to make comments about how the community should be allocating their funds.”

        What on earth does my father’s profession have to do with my opinion Jonathan? My father-in-law is an academic – perhaps that should also impact on my ability to comment?!

        I suppose that my “standing” as a plain old Australian Jew (and a former JCA donor…) has no relevance to my ability to comment on this matter?

        What nonsense.

Speak Your Mind

Comments received without a full name will not be considered
Email addresses are NEVER published! All comments are moderated. J-Wire will publish considered comments by people who provide a real name and email address. Comments that are abusive, rude, defamatory or which contain offensive language will not be published

Got something to say about this?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.