Community Kitchen
BGI's Community Kitchen is a safe, fun space for fostering connection and resilience through food. In it, we make kai (food) for our guests, collaborators, and the rangatahi in our programmes. We also teach people about how to cook creative, cheap, and delicious meals.
While we're here to teach, we're also here to learn! The Community Kitchen is a space in which locals can come together to talk about food – what dishes they grew up eating, the ingredients that are common in their cultures, and how to cook them authentically.
We’re also keen on contextualising what we cook within the wider food system. The Community Kitchen team is dedicated to educating about how we can increase urban food security by minimising food waste. Much of the Community Kitchen kai is made with products sourced from Kaibosh, who do important mahi rescuing and redistributing quality, surplus food. We're sure to share any excess with our neighbours in need.
Our Community Garden, Te MĀRAmatanga, and regenerative orchard are just up the road too! These spaces enable us to connect back to the land and the ways in which we can sustainably cultivate it.
To us at BGI, food is a tool for practising manaakitanga (hospitality), kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the environment), and re-establishing tino rangatiratanga (self-determination).
To learn more about BGI's community cooking programmes, head to Paper Bag Lunches and Cooking on a Budget or follow us on instagram.
To discuss food for a gathering or fundraising event at BGI, or to organise a cooking lesson with your group, get in touch with Michael today!
