Raine & Horne's Ric Serrao passes $18,000 for OzHarvest CookOff

Ric Serrao, principal of Raine & Horne Double Bay/Bondi Beach, will cook at the Sydney finale of OzHarvest's 2026 CEO CookOff on Thursday 12 November, having already raised more than $18,000 for the food rescue charity, Raine & Horne said in a media release on 10 November.

It is Mr Serrao's first CEO CookOff. The program pairs chief executives and community leaders with professional chefs, who cook, serve and share a meal with guests from the charities OzHarvest supports, while each participant fundraises in the weeks before the night.

OzHarvest describes the CookOff as its flagship fundraising initiative. This year's series has run through October and November, with events in Perth, Canberra, Newcastle, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, Sydney and Adelaide before the Sydney finale. The charity's goal is $2.5 million, which it says will deliver five million meals in 30 days, and its CookOff site showed $1,654,212 raised on 11 November.

Mr Serrao's tally already sits above the $10,000 mark OzHarvest uses for its Black Apron, the recognition it gives leaders who raise $10,000 or more in a single CookOff.

He linked his involvement to the reach of food insecurity rather than to the event itself.

"It is easy to take access to good food for granted. But for many Australians, putting a nutritious meal on the table isn't always possible. I'm proud to play a small part in supporting OzHarvest and the incredible work it does," Mr Serrao said.

Mr Serrao said his parents came from a humble household, his mother working as a seamstress and his father as a cane weaver, and that he had followed OzHarvest's work for some time before he was invited to take part. He admitted the kitchen is not his natural ground, saying "a chopping board and I don't get along", and that his wife Lucy does the cooking at home.

For a principal in Sydney's eastern suburbs, one of the country's most competitive sales markets, the CookOff puts his name in front of a room of business leaders and alongside a charity with national recognition. Mr Serrao framed it in terms of the business he runs.

"Real estate is ultimately about people and communities. Supporting organisations like OzHarvest is a great way to make a positive contribution beyond the property industry," he said.

Raine & Horne said Mr Serrao hopes his participation will encourage others in the business community to get involved with OzHarvest.

The fundraising push is one of several by real estate businesses heading into summer. Harcourts has committed to donate $100 from every eligible sale in its Your Day auction campaign to Orange Sky, while Raine & Horne continues to add to its network, most recently opening a residential office in Melville in Perth.