vendor
Robert
I started selling The Big Issue around 2001. I like getting out of the house and meeting people. And the income helps.
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Article
Friends (Not the Show)
Friends come and friends go. Some give, some take. Most do both. Why do we care for each other? Does necessity draw us together? Or is it shared experiences, common stories? It must be more than this, if it’s to last.
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Monti Thoke Noodles
I remember running home after playing and asking Mum for a little money, and we sat together sharing these wonderful fresh noodles and everything was perfect.
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Crispy Potato Wedges With Blue Cheese Sauce
For me, this recipe evokes pure childhood nostalgia. It brings back memories of times down the beach with a big paper tray of seasoned wedges and sweet chilli sauce.
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Krystal
Out of everything I’ve done in my life, having my child has got to be the most amazing thing. I love watching him grow. He’s learning to read. Some days, I’m not perfect, but I’m doing the best I can – and I’m a world away from where I grew up. I’m doing the work to reverse my history.
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Craig
Selling The Big Issue gives me a life. It gets me out of home. I love talking to people. It’s not about selling; for me, it’s about interacting with other people.
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Love Without Borders
When Jasper Peach’s eldest child had that momentous first day of school, the love was shared with a very large community.
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Finger Bun
Development of the Lune Finger Bun Croissant was a delicious meander down memory lane. Especially that Boston icing (turns out, adult Kate still can’t get enough of that).
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Emma
I’d love to keep selling The Big Issue. My favourite thing is the people I come across, both customers and vendors.
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Barramundi Poached in Geraldton Wax, Kunzea Flower and Lemon-scented Gum
This recipe is close to my heart. It is a reminder of time spent with my son in the garden, exploring, observing and learning together.
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Gary
If I can inspire one person, that’s a good thing. And that’s why I like doing The Big Issue. Be your own hero.
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Ukrainian Borsch
This dish takes me right back to when I was five years old and would stay with my grandparents in Bashtanka.
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Letter to my Younger Self: Jenny Kee
Designer Jenny Kee looks back at swingin’ London, 70s Sydney and defining 80s fashion.
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Rick
The Big Issue has been great for me when I’m in between other jobs. I just want to keep meeting new people and being a positive member of the community.
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Kourabiedes
There is something incredibly satisfying about feeding your family good food – by putting in the effort to say: I made your favourite dinner and I love you.
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Marian
I always thought I might sell The Big Issue at one stage because I need a completely carefree, independent way of managing my own life.
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Elva’s Blow-Away Chocolate Sponge
Elva and I would banter about baking, and she once served me this cake, her signature chocolate sponge recipe, which is now a regular at my shop, Cakeboi.
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David
Having the money from selling The Big Issue means you’ve got no worries about anything.
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Gigantes With Tomato and Dill
Our family has always organised itself around eating. Even the memories I have of my great-grandmother are through the lens of food.
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Les
I was born in Melbourne, in Fitzroy in 1944. There were three boys, and 13 years later, there was a girl. I was the second, the middle boy. My older brother Ron, who did also sell The Big Issue, he passed away in 2011.
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Letter to my Younger Self: Eric Idle
From being bullied in boarding school to singing for the Queen and surviving pancreatic cancer, Monty Python’s Eric Idle looks back on the dark, bright and bizarre sides of his life.
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Ash Reshteh
Soups are very important in Persian cuisine and Ash Reshteh is the absolute king.
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Angelica
I started selling The Big Issue in February last year. It has changed me, I am a changed person.
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Japanese Gyoza
It’s a longstanding family joke that I’m completely biased when I adamantly declare at every opportunity that my mum’s gyoza are the best in the world.
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Ray
I never thought I’d be selling the magazines, but it has become a priority in my life. It’s because when I’m doing this, I’m doing good.
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Yiayia’s Pastitsio
Food in our family means celebration; it means coming together as a family and enjoying each other’s company.
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Tony G
I have been a Big Issue vendor since 2002, around the age of 30. I’ve been doing it for 20 years this year! I like working for myself, working my own hours, being my own boss, running my own show.
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Shepherd’s Pie
I mean, what’s not to love about gravy, vegies and mashed potatoes all baked together?
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Mitchell
What I love most about selling The Big Issue is not only does it let you know who you are, it also lets you be who you are.
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Morticia and Me
Read ‘Morticia and Me’ by Emma Darragh, featured in our latest Fiction Edition.
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Fast Times at Hartley High
A new generation of students returns for a fresh take on ground-breaking Australian series Heartbreak High.
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Raspberry Coconut Cheesecake Slice
You see, there is genuine love in desserts that resists all attempts to tamp it down. These are not the foods you need to eat; they are the foods you want to eat. They are not sustenance, but a gift of affection.
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Bradley
The Big Issue gets me out in the community a bit more, and gives me a purpose in life to do something and that. I’m thankful that The Big Issue is around.
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Smoky Whole Eggplants With Crispy Chickpeas, Olives & Tahini
These eggplants have all the things I love. Cooked and served whole with little interference, with layers of sweet, sour, acid, crunch, creaminess and herbs.
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Kaia
Both of my brothers have sold The Big Issue, so it’s a bit like a family business for us.
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Ricotta and Orange Olive Oil Cake
It is wonderful for afternoon tea and keeps well thanks to the extra-virgin olive oil.
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Rob
I love selling The Big Issue. It’s a bridge for me to meet new people in my community.
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A Light in the Dark
On a cold winter’s night in Sydney, people gather to remember those who lost their lives living on the streets.
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Lemony Chicken and Risoni Soup
Now I have a large, active family who seem to be always on the go, this soup takes me back to those slow, treasured newborn days in an instant. Isn’t it so lovely how food can do that?
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Letter to my Younger Self: Guy Pearce
Before Jack Irish, before Easttown, Guy Pearce was a boy from Erinsborough. He talks fatherhood, fame and overcoming his fears.
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The Old Block
Ricky French takes the opportunity to do one of the final Neighbours tours of Vermont South.
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Steamed Savoury Egg Custard Two Ways
The most nostalgic egg dish for me is the big bowl of steamed savoury egg custard my family would make as part of dinner.
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Tallis
Every single day people walk past that know me and say hello. They make me feel like I’m part of the community.
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Annie’s Five-Minute Milo Cake
It’s a simple pleasure, the smell of it cooking and the soft, gently flavoured crumb is like time travel to Mum’s warm, colourful kitchen. My happy place.
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Michelle
The Big Issue was a good opportunity. I like the work, and I travel to suburbs all over Melbourne. I love travelling long distance, and it gets me out of the house. I start at 8.30am and work till 5pm from Monday to Saturday, six days a week.
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MasterChef’s Alvin Quah cooks KL Hokkien Mee
KL Hokkien mee was a family favourite. Poised with our bowls and chopsticks, we would unwrap our neatly packaged supper and dive in. Words of gratitude were replaced by the noise of slurping noodles.
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Susan and Ted
The Big Issue is very good because I’m learning to get around the CBD by myself. I’m also getting my confidence up and earning money, and I like that I’m communicating to different customers.
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Marcus
"I’ve been selling the magazine for 25 years. I’m really proud to see the evolution of the magazine, and my evolution as a person too."
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Milk Toffee
Most cultures have some form of toffee, fudge or caramel in their repertoire. This recipe is my version of the one found in Sri Lanka – milk toffee, which I learned from my Nan.
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Joshua
I’m a man who lives in the moment. I like to stick my life in cruise control and forget about the bad times. I don’t have big plans or expectations for the future. In the past, life threw more stuff at me than you’d think.
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Apple Crumble Mug Cake
This recipe brings back so many fond memories. It has all the flavours of a warm, classic apple crumble, but with much less effort.
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James
I was born in Melbourne. I’ve got my mum. I’ve got my twin sister – I’m classed as older, by a couple of seconds, I think – and then I’ve got my little sister and my brother. My parents separated when I was young, around four or five.
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Kotopoulo Me Rizi by Yiayia Next Door
Next door lives our very own angel, Yiayia (grandmother in Greek). And this was the first dish she gifted us after our mother passed away.
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Michael
I grew up in Cooma, New South Wales. There were four children in our family and I’m the eldest. One time Dad was working in Thailand. My sister and I went to Bangkok to visit him. It was exciting going on the plane.
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Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup by Paul West
"If there’s one thing that I hope my kids can cook by the time they leave home, it is this."
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Randy
"I love selling the mag because it gets me out of the house. I get to meet different people. I’ve known a lot of the vendors for a long while, so it’s good."
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Hot Cross Buns by Georgia Mcdermott
One of my all-time favourite scents is a heavily spiced hot cross bun wafting through the kitchen...
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Owen
"I find selling the mag good. You have to get used to the fluctuations of bad days and good days, but the best approach is to be friendly."
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Apple Pie by Vendor Will
Food says community to me because enjoying a great meal is a great way to get together with those who are important to you.
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The Life of Warnie
We revisit cricket legend Shane Warne’s Letter to My Younger Self, in which he revealed the importance of good manners, good friends and good scents.
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KJ
"I started selling The Big Issue in July. I like the freedom, that you pick your hours. And just getting out and about and meeting people, and having fun."
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Nectarine Crumble Tray Bake by Sally Wise
My earliest memories of the wonders of baking were in my grandmother’s kitchen. The aroma as you walked in the door spelled “Welcome. Sit down, have a chat and something nice to eat.” It was like you were enjoying a cuddle with food.
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Takin’ Care of Business
The Big Issue’s Women’s Workforce are a force to be reckoned with, as Melissa Fulton discovers when she joins them on a shift.
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Bevan
"This is probably my fifth time selling The Big Issue. I just love doing it. I love seeing people smile, even if I don’t get money – I don’t care. To see someone walk past grumpy and I make them smile, that works for me – I’m a pretty laid-back character like that."
Read moreHomes For Homes
Homes for Homes is a simple promise that when a home sells, whenever that is, 0.1% of the sale price will be donated—helping build homes for those in need.
