Local & Loved

By Jodi Bryant

There are school recipe fundraiser books and then there's the Hurupaki School style: 280 striking pages featuring over 150 delicious recipes from both locals and celebrities, including Prime Minister Jacinda Adern.

The idea for the masterpiece – 'Local and Loved' - was first pitched to the Parent Support Group by Hurupaki mum Sharn Coates almost a year ago as part of ongoing fundraising to reach $250,000 for the school and community's AstroTurf. Six other mums jumped on board and combined their efforts to make the professional cookbook come to fruition.

"We wanted to create a cookbook that celebrated our local community's favourite food," says Sharn. "It's a collection of everyone's tried and tested, best loved recipes. There's something for everyone."

The full-colour, professionally designed and printed cookbook has eight chapters of mouth-watering recipes from local families, staff, and celebrities, including chef Nadia Lim, Black Stick and former Hurupaki pupil Madi Doar, cricketer Tim Southee and a special fish recipe personally sent to the cookbook crew by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Mayor Sheryl Mai has also contributed a special recipe for fruit cake passed down from her mother.

Says fellow mum and committee member Jo Postlewaight: "When we began this in December last year, I don't think any of us knew how much work was involved. From asking families and teachers for recipes, to the photographing and staging of the food, to book design and then finally on to the printers, oh and then the launch, sales and marketing."

As well as the organising, which involved typing up all the recipes, the mums cooked the celebrity recipes for the photography staging with Jo being given the task of making Jacinda's fish recipe.

"It was quite nerve-racking knowing that you needed to get the celebrities' recipes, not only cooked well, but also looking fabulous."

All the recipes submitted by families were also cooked and brought into the school to be photographed and then sampled for comment in the book. The committee describe the response and engagement from the community as 'incredible' with local foodie businesses sponsoring sections and two local talented photographers capturing the cuisine and children cooking.

The chapters cover breakfasts, salads, winter warmers, kids, dinners, baking, entertainment and desserts.

The Support Group aim to raise $100,000 as part of ongoing fundraising towards the $250,000 AstroTurf, which they hope to
have installed within
two years.