Green Dinner Table aims to empower people to make positive changes to their health by providing vegan meals to New Zealanders at homes.

Green Dinner Table is a Christchurch-based, vegan food box company run by Tom Riley and Chris Kappely. Both Tom and Chris share a passion for healthy and sustainable food and committed to being as environmentally-friendly as possible. Green Dinner Table ensures the usage of recyclable and biodegradable products, where possible. To create delicious, weekly, fresh meal delivery menus, Green Dinner Table strives to use in-season produce and support local growers and food producers at all times.

Tom Riley

Tom was born and raised right here in Christchurch. He became interested in the chef’s life after reading Orwell’s prolific novel, Down and Out in Paris and London and earned his culinary certification at Ara (formerly CPIT). Yet, it was at home that Tom learnt a lot about vegan and plant-based cuisine – thanks to his steadfastly vegan wife, Jennifer.

Tom started his cooking career as a dishwasher in Christchurch. He worked his way up through various roles in the kitchens of Sydney and Edinburgh before leading a team of his own at one of the busiest restaurants in Downtown Toronto. Inspired by ingredients and techniques, Tom is passionate about sharing his love for good food with anyone lucky enough to taste what he’s prepared.

Tom’s proud to be back in Christchurch during this exciting time of growth for the city.  He and his wife have two children, Violet and Oscar.

Chris Kappely

Born and raised in Christchurch, Chris has always been interested in health and fitness — getting his first set of weights at 12 years old. Initially, he followed in his father’s footsteps and at 22 became an electrician.

He lived in Sydney for a year, working half of the time as an electrician and the other half as a deckhand on a number of boats on Sydney Harbour. While in Sydney, Chris spent a lot of his spare time studying health and longevity, which introduced him to the benefits of veganism and he hasn’t looked back.

On a trip home to attend a wedding, Chris met his future wife Francesca at an Anytime Fitness Gym and decided to move home. Fast forward another couple years and they decided to open their own Anytime Fitness Gym in Ferrymead. Chris and Francesca joined Tom as partners in Green Dinner Table in 2020. Both their businesses align with their view that total health and wellness is a combination of being moderately active and eating the right food.