eLanka

Tuesday, 28 Oct 2025
  • Home
  • Read History
  • Articles
    • eLanka Journalists
  • Events
  • Useful links
    • Obituaries
    • Seeking to Contact
    • eLanka Newsletters
    • Weekly Events and Advertisements
    • eLanka Testimonials
    • Sri Lanka Newspapers
    • Sri Lanka TV LIVE
    • Sri Lanka Radio
    • eLanka Recepies
  • Gallery
  • Contact
Newsletter
  • eLanka Weddings
  • Property
  • eLanka Shop
  • Business Directory
eLankaeLanka
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Read History
  • Articles
    • eLanka Journalists
  • Events
  • Useful links
    • Obituaries
    • Seeking to Contact
    • eLanka Newsletters
    • Weekly Events and Advertisements
    • eLanka Testimonials
    • Sri Lanka Newspapers
    • Sri Lanka TV LIVE
    • Sri Lanka Radio
    • eLanka Recepies
  • Gallery
  • Contact
Follow US
© 2005 – 2025 eLanka Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Home » Blog » Articles » Lentil As Anything – the History – with Shanka Fernando
Articles

Lentil As Anything – the History – with Shanka Fernando

eLanka admin
Last updated: November 8, 2020 3:36 pm
By
eLanka admin
ByeLanka admin
Follow:
Share
2 Min Read
SHARE

Lentil As Anything – the History – with Shanka Fernando

Source:Lentilasanything

“Lentil as anything is an invitation to restore our faith in the essential goodness of humanity and the wholesome nature of community.”

— Wayne Visser

Our History

Lentil As Anything was created from a dream Shanaka Fernando had for his local community in St. Kilda around twenty years ago.

In the year 2000, Shanaka set up the first Lentil As Anything with the support of the community in St. Kilda. A wild idea at the time and one of Australia’s first modern social enterprises, it was a restaurant that provided food to anyone who dropped in. In order to keep the project viable, Lentil As Anything adopted a contribution model where patrons were encouraged to donate what they could either through a gift of labour, skills or simply to “pay as you feel”, thus creating an effective tool for promoting social cohesion and inclusion.

Lentil As Anything helped create a rare space for our community to come together as one to share a meal, create and collaborate, social stigma and disregarding any existing economic and social barriers.

The values that Lentil As Anything stands for are those deeply rooted in a healthy human community. These values are now cemented into the social fabric of Melbourne and Sydney with four Pay-As-You-Feel restaurants in St. Kilda, Abbotsford and Thornbury in Melbourne, and Newtown in Sydney. The Pay-As-You-Feel movement created by Lentil As Anything has influenced numerous organisations and communities that subscribe to a similar ethos in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

In 2007 Shanaka was awarded Australia’s Local Hero/Social Challenger at Australian of the Year Awards. He lives in Melbourne with his wife and four children.

 

More Read

Drums of Kandy sung by Siera Keyt-eLanka
Drums of Kandy sung by Siera Keyt, Written by Dodwell Keyt
Sri Lanka Crowned Home of South Asia’s Fastest Man and Woman After Record-Breaking Wins in Ranchi
Fabulous Suzi Flückiger and No Limit were on fire at the St John’s College Nugegoda Country and Western night. – By TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.
TAGGED:Shanaka Fernando
Share This Article
Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article shanaka_fernando-eLanka Lentil as Anything – Everybody deserves a place at the table – book by Shanaka Fernando
Next Article Beli Lena Caves located behind a gently cascading waterfall Kitulgala Beli Lena Cave – archaeological treasure trove By Arundathie Abeysinghe
FacebookLike
YoutubeSubscribe
LinkedInFollow
Most Read
10 Pictures With Fascinating Stories Behind Them!

“A PICTURE SPEAKS A 1000 WORDS” – By Des Kelly

Look past your thoughts so you may drink the pure nectar of this moment

A Life Hack for when we’re Burnt Out & Broken Down – By Uma Panch

Narration of the History of our Proud Ancestral (Orang Jawa) Heritage. by Noor R. Rahim

eLanka Weddings

eLanka Marriage Proposals

Noel News

Noel News

Noel News

Noel News- By Noel Whittaker

EILEEN MARY SIBELLE DE SILVA (nee DISSANAYAKE) – 29 September 1922 – 6 April 2018 – A Woman of Value an Appreciation written by Mohini Gunasekera

K.K.S. Cement Factory

Dr.Harold Gunatillake’s 90th Birthday party

Sri Lanka's women's cricket squad in Melbourne

Cricket: Sri Lanka’s women’s squad in Melbourne

- Advertisement -
Ad image
Related News
India vs Australia T20 Series 2025
Articles

Australia Men’s Squad Updates

සුනන්ද මහේන්ද්‍ර  අභිනන්දන , ආචාර්ය ගාමිණී කාරියවසම්.,සුනන්ද මහේන්ද්‍ර 
Articles Dr. Gamini Kariyawasam

මහාචාර්ය සුනන්ද මහේන්ද්‍ර  අභිනන්දන – By ආචාර්ය ගාමිණී කාරියවසම්.

Mani Subramaniam Venkateswaran
Articles Obituaries

Obituary Notice – Mr Vale Mani Subramaniam Venkateswaran

Rolls-Royce in Ceylon - By Victor Melder
Articles Victor Melder

Rolls-Royce in Ceylon – by John Stuttard & Roger Thiedeman

Sri Lanka’s Economic Revival - A Story of Resilience and Growth Sri Lanka is doing great. - By Dr Harold Gunatillake
Articles Dr Harold Gunatillake

Sri Lanka’s Economic Revival – A Story of Resilience and Growth Sri Lanka is doing great. – By Dr Harold Gunatillake

  • Quick Links:
  • Articles
  • DESMOND KELLY
  • Dr Harold Gunatillake
  • English Videos
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sinhala Videos
  • eLanka Newsletters
  • Obituaries
  • Tamil Videos
  • Dr. Harold Gunatillake
  • Sunil Thenabadu
  • Sinhala Movies
  • Trevine Rodrigo
  • Tamil Movies
  • Michael Roberts

eLanka

Your Trusted Source for News & Community Stories: Stay connected with reliable updates, inspiring features, and breaking news. From politics and technology to culture, lifestyle, and events, eLanka brings you stories that matter — keeping you informed, engaged, and connected 24/7.
Kerrie road, Oatlands , NSW 2117 , Australia.
Email : info@eLanka.com.au / rasangivjes@gmail.com.
WhatsApp : +61402905275 / +94775882546

(c) 2005 – 2025 eLanka Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.