So you think the competition in Master Chef is intense and the judges exacting?
Wait till you see Marae Master Chef.
And don't bother searching through the TV Guide - this is no reality TV show, but a real-life contest, possibly taking place at a marae near you.
The competition is organised by health provider Te Hauora o Kaikohe and involves a different marae each fortnight competing to do the best job of hosting a group of kuia and kaumatua for lunch. The elderly guests use a questionnaire to rate each marae according to a list of criteria, and after two months the scores are tallied up and averaged to decide the winner.
First up was Mahuhukiterangi Marae at Tautoro, south of Kaikohe; last Wednesday it was the turn of Te Kotahitanga Marae on the outskirts of town. There the guests were treated to a cream of pumpkin soup starter, a main of steamed mullet with seasonal vegetables, white sauce and freshly baked rewana bread, followed by a dessert of bread pudding with custard.
Much of the meal was cooked on an open fire.
Betty Smith of Kaikohe said it was a great experience to see how each marae did things. All four marae taking part were new to her, she said.
The oldest judge, 90-year-old Tom Greg, said the food was excellent. "It saves me cooking at night, and here you get all the finishes and little bits."
Mr Greg said if he was having sausages for tea, that's exactly what he'd cook. At the marae, however, he got all the frills as well, like gravy and garnish, starters and dessert.
The long-time Kaikohe resident said the competition was also a social occasion. Last Wednesday he had met three old workmates from Rowsell's Mill he hadn't seen in "a long, long time". "I'm already looking forward to the next one. It would be nice to see a few more older people come along," he said.
Kotahitanga Marae kuia Queenie Erueti also gave the lunch a thumb's-up. "I enjoyed it very much. Now I know how it feels to eat in a restaurant," she said.
Erena Kara, special projects manager at Te Hauora o Kaikohe, said the contest combined the national Heha (Healthy eating, healthy action) programme, which promotes good nutrition and activity, and the Age Well programme, which aims to keep the elderly healthy and independent.
Kuia and kaumatua enrolled with Age Well were invited to be the judges in Marae Master Chef.
The mission of participating marae was to prepare a healthy meal, including vegetables and fruit and a traditional Maori element, based on the Heha guidelines. At the end of the competition the top-rated marae would receive $1000 plus the mana of winning.
For the kuia and kaumatua it meant a good meal and a social day out; for the marae it was an opportunity to learn about healthy eating options. The next venues will be Te Iringa Marae and Awarua Marae.
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