God’s kitchen: Rātana Pā’s home caterers will provide kai for whānau and manuhiri

The cooking crew at Ratana Pā. Photo / Te Kakenga Kawiti-Bishara

Behind the scenes of every major Māori event is a team of volunteers who are up at first light and hit the sack well after lights out - they are the backbone of any hui.

Volunteers are on hand to welcome the thousands of dignitaries and whānau who will converge on Rātana - the unofficial kick-off to the political year - over the next two days. They will cook, clean, powhiri, maintain the paepae, and be on call for whatever needs doing.

The kitchen will be run like a military operation with everyone knowing their roles.

“Manaaki tangata in its thousands” says Rātana ringaringawaewae (cook) Donna Docherty, who has played a lead role in the kiikoopu, Rātana Marae dining hall, for most of her life.

During this year’s Rātana 150th celebrations, the kiikoopu kitchen is already in full swing, catering for the many visitors that have travelled from near and far, not only to go to church, but also to feast.

Cooks and caterers can be identified by white shirts or apron dresses, though Docherty says that the first cooks wore blue. She commented that the white is different to the other colours in the Rātana whetu marama (church star emblem) and is the reason it was changed.

Feeding the whānau at Ratana Pā. Photo / Te Kakenga Kawiti-Bishara

Both male and female caterers, mostly of Rātana descent, can be seen with pails of mince, potatoes and the famous steam puddings, although the menu differs each year.

Consider it proportionate to a “last supper”, says Docherty.

Kiikoopu literally means to “fill the stomach”.

The dining hall can seat hundreds at a time.

Docherty says “to cater to the masses is a whānau affair”, handed down through the generations. Docherty said there is a new group of rangatahi coming through, learning the tricks of the trade, and are not looking at stopping.

The future of the faith appears secure.