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National | Cooking

EIT offer marae cookery programme

In a first for Hawke's Bay, Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) is to offer a marae cookery programme as a national qualification.

Kaumātua and Kuia will support the tertiary institute to offer a certificate in Hospitality at Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere and the Pukemokimoki Marae in Maraenui.

Could these be the next marae masters of the kitchen?

A bunch of people will be the first students in the new cookery programme running at the marae to gain their Hospitality Certificate Level 3.

Adrian Hawea says, "I've done baking in the past, but that was a long time ago and I needed to upgrade my CV.  I've done level one and this is level three."

Caroline Tamati says, "I want to be a chef and want to stay in the cooking industry, that's why I joined it, to come up against different chefs and learn off them."

There will be a smorgasbord on offer for the students as well.

Apiata Tapene says, "It's about providing people at grassroots an opportunity of gaining entry into the hospitality industry. But more specifically, around being able to utilise those skills in a marae context."

Other areas have implemented similar programmes with success.  The marae kitchen seems to be the perfect place to learn.

Tamati says, "There was a lot of herbs that I've never used before in the recipe we did today and quite a few of new ingredients, a lot of herbs, how to saute and cook the meat properly."

Tapene says, "The knowledge that our tauira have learnt are being taken to their homes.  So the well-being spreads to homes, to the community and we hope this will continue."

So what's the favourite thing on the menu for these budding chefs?

Hawea says, "The pork chops we cooked today and the mushroom sauce."

Tamati says, "My favourite thing is baking the eclairs and cooking meats different ways."

With that sort of passion and a national certificate, Caroline Tamati and Adrian Hawea look certain of a career in the kitchen.