Hastings' Peter Johnson is a retired cook; every week the 74-year-old cooks his neighbours a feast

Parkhaven Flats residents [L-R]Margaret Walker, and Pat Ogilvie gratefully accept pudding and a vegetable bake from Peter Johnson. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hastings man Peter Johnson, 74, retired as a cook seven years ago but every week, at least once a week, he cooks up a feast for fellow council flat residents.

To attract everyone's attention, once Johnson finishes cooking, he bangs on his pot or pan and sings out "bring your plates, bring your bowls" and they all flock to his doorway.

He's a fan of making pasta dishes, vegetable bakes and rolls and he quite enjoys making the likes of apple crumbles or the occasional pear cake.

Retired cook Peter Johnson inspects his vegetable bake before he dishes it up for his fellow council residents. Photo / Warren Buckland

"My style of cooking is to chuck in a bit of this, chuck in a bit of that and it comes out alright.

"I have got too much stuff given to me, I like to share it with my neighbours."

Johnson lives at Parkhaven Flats, Hastings and he has lived there for the past seven years.

There are 29 units there and Johnson is well-known for his cooking, amongst all the residents.

Johnson worked as a cook for 40-plus years and his cooking took him as far as Australia.

"I did my apprenticeship as a pastry cook in Masterton. I went to Australia and worked at The Australian Club under a Polish cook."

He self-deprecatingly describes himself as a "basic cook" but worked at the Grand Hotel in Wellington for five years, at Newman College-University of Melbourne where he fed 220 university students and most recently as a cook at Mary Doyle Retirement Village, Wellington among other kitchens.

But it was his time as a cook at a Mary Doyle retirement home which he enjoyed the most, before retiring at 68.

"I was working at Mary Doyle in Wellington. I loved working in the retirement home, as you get older you look after each other."

Peter Johnson portions out his dish before serving it up. Photo / Warren Buckland

Johnson had a quadruple heart bypass which was the deciding factor behind his retirement but that didn't stop him from cooking.

"I am very involved with everyone around me [at the council flats], I cook for them sometimes once, sometimes twice a week."

Most of what he cooks comes out of his own pocket with the occasional box of food from Nourish for Nil, but he loves doing it.

"It's my nature. My Mum taught me when I was a young boy that it was nicer to give than to take.

"It keeps me busy, I enjoy it. My neighbours love it."

It's the little things in life which count, he says.

"One doesn't need the world. Little things you do come back to you, so why not share it around.

"We are lucky we have a roof over heads, there are so many homeless people out there."

Johnson has already planned a Christmas meal for his fellow residents because he "absolutely refuses" to let them just eat a sausage sizzle.