Monique and Henry Heke get cooking with Flaxmere College students

Fish and Chips Heke style was on the menu today as former TV show contestants Monique and Henry Heke cooked up a storm with hospitality students from Flaxmere College.

About 15 Level 2 and 3 hospitality students created pan-fried fish with skin on, beetroot salad and riwai salad with watercress and caper dressing under the watchful eyes of the My Kitchen Rules and NZ on a Plate participants.

Monique Heke (left), shares her knowledge with students Alyssabeth Tuitea, Puasina Ropeti and Paige Wallace-Ross. Photo / Duncan Brown

Hospitality teacher Stephanie Moore said that after seeing the couple on

My Kitchen Rules

she was "really impressed with their approach to food and how they've taken traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but given it a modern spin".

It is not the first time the husband and wife team have shared their expertise with the hospitality students - they did the same thing last year.

"It was a huge success. They are so knowledgeable, but really engaging and they've got a great manner with the kids," Moore said.

She said they shared the same beliefs about cooking. "Its not just about the food on the plate, it's about bringing people together, sharing experiences and sharing cultures."

Monique Heke (left) and student Alyssabeth Tuitea get busy with the prep in the Flaxmere College kitchen. Photo / Duncan Brown

Head girl Sharma Moss liked how the Hekes brought their own style of cooking to the students.

"The one thing I love about this school is how enthusiastic the students are, they really embrace new ideas and new experiences," Moore said.

Year 12 student Shakera Patuwai cooked with the Hekes last year too and she said she'd looked forward to repeating the experience.

"It's cool. The recipe sounds difficult, but when you get into it, it's doable."

Monique said: "It's really good for students to learn to make food fun and that they don't have to buy everything".

The couple wanted to share the message that it is better and cheaper to cook from scratch.

Henry Heke (middle) shares his tips with students John Kuti (left) and Joseph Hungahunga. Photo / Duncan Brown

"I talked about the value of buying a whole fish, filleting it, and skinning it yourself is worth twice as much as it is just buying a piece of fish and chips from the shop."

"The key thing is practically experiencing it and then teaching them little tricks so they can then grow with it," Henry added.