New Plymouth residents get inspired to eat well on a budget

We joined forces with Marfell Kindergarten and the Western Institute of Technology Taranaki (WITT) to organise the free cooking classes so that locals, including some Kāinga Ora customers, could get tips, tricks and inspiration for nutritious meals they could make for the whole whānau to enjoy.

Over three classes in November, Mike Sutherland, a chef tutor who teaches in WITT’s hospitality programmes, wanted the participants to gain some confidence in the kitchen. He taught them about prepping healthy meals, while considering seasonal availability and cost.

Kāinga Ora customers Keanee and Eliza attended the cooking class.

“As a parent myself, I know how tough it can be to feed a family with limited funds and sneak in those vegetables that some kids dread. We are the community polytechnic and being able to open our kitchen for this positive community collaboration was an honour,” says Mike.

Sam, Head Teacher at Marfell Kindergarten, says the feedback from the participants was really positive.

“These cooking classes were so empowering for our whānau, and I'm so proud of each of them. They enjoyed learning new skills and trying kid-proof recipes using different types of meat that are cheap to buy. All participants took the cooking home each week for their whānau to enjoy.”

“This is a perfect example of how we are working with community organisations to support our customers and build sustainable, thriving and inclusive communities,’’ says Lauren Darrah Stakeholder Relationship Manager for Kāinga Ora in Taranaki, Whanganui and Manawatu.

“It was great to see the participants enjoying themselves and cooking some delicious meals, including a Thai green chicken curry, chilli beef and broccoli and pork fried rice. The recipes looked and smelt amazing!”