Covid cookbook a Dannevirke community fundraiser

Nicola McLean with the draft copy of a cookbook that was produced following the Covid-19 lockdown alongside her favourite recipe book. Photo / Sue Emeny

For many people the Covid-19 lockdown meant time on their hands and the need to look for ways of filling that time.

Nicola Mclean, who with partner Dan Phillips own Merrylees Hotel, said they had to shut down for more than two months during the lockdown.

Nicola filled her time by baking, and from that she had the idea of producing a community cookbook.

Her favourite recipes came from a 1994 cookbook produced by a branch of Women's Division and called the Akitio Gourmet, a well used book held together with a large clip, and some of these recipes form the basis of the cookbook.

Nicola called for contributions of favourite family recipes from locals via Facebook and the response was overwhelming, she said.

As things started to return to normal as the alert levels changed, the cookbook was put on the backburner until Nicola found the time to go through all the contributed recipes, and selected around 130 of them.

She typed them all up, sorted them into six different sections and put together the 54-page recipe book.

"It was a bit of fun and a bit of a memento that 2020 was one of those years."

When Nicola announced the book was ready to go to print, she said she had more than 200 people wanting copies.

The book is now in the process of being printed by Papillon Printing and should be ready by the end of the week.

"I've ordered 300 copies but I think I'm going to need more than that."

What was of prime importance was to keep the cost of printing the book as low as possible, as the money raised from sales of it is to go to the Dannevirke Community Welfare Group, of which Nicola is the chairwoman.

"We want to put the money back into the community and this group looks after people within our community."

The welfare group helps families out by providing grocery and petrol vouchers, and subsidising medication.

Nicola said these were just some of the ways the group gives back to the community.

One project the group is looking to fund is to provide a new glucose monitoring system for children with type 1 diabetes, of which there are a large number in the community.

"This group is meeting a need in the community and as the members are from all walks of life we get to hear about people who may need some help."