Shanaka Fernando

Shanaka Fernando (born 1968) is a Sri Lankan-born Australian restaurateur and self-described "social challenger", best known for his founding of the pay what you can chain of restaurants in Melbourne known as "Lentil as Anything".

Early life Fernando was born in Thimbirigasyaya, He appeared in productions of Fame and Guys and Dolls. He travelled in the Third World, and developed an interest in social justice issues.

He has been honoured with an Australian postage stamp, and is listed in Who's Who in Australia, 2008 Edition. including sharing the podium with Joan Kirner, a former Premier of Victoria.

He has appeared in the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (Naplan) exam citing the values he promotes. The Lentil as Anything values were created into a teaching unit by the department of education and distributed throughout Australian primary schools

He was invited by the Dalai Lama to join him as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia, season 3, episode 67.

He was inducted to the Museum of Australian Democracy and features in the Living Democracy gallery which includes some examples of the many ways food is intrinsically linked to human rights.

Yet, he says he dislikes attention, and has done what he has done in order to influence others to adopt a more appropriate philosophy.

Whistleblowers referred to in the report have raised concerns that Mr Fernando supplemented his $80,000 a year salary package, paying rent and child support from the charity’s money. Fernando insisted his pay was consistent with his agreed salary package which included benefits such as utilities and rent. At the trial, he explained "My father instructed me that I had a fine tradition to keep up", but the judge was not impressed by this attempt at humour. Later, he went to the infringements office to enter into a payment plan, and they had been waived.