Throughout 2024, The Kitchen Project teamed up with the University of Auckland to run a series of hands on cooking classes aimed at one delicious goal: helping students learn how to cook with what they have. Each class started with a food box and ended with full bellies, new skills and plenty of good vibes.

The monthly classes were held at Te Tirohanga o te Toangaroa and Carlaw Park Student Village, with around 400 students taking part across the year. At the heart of the sessions were the Perfectly Imperfect produce boxes, filled with fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables that may not meet supermarket beauty standards but are perfectly good to eat.

The boxes came straight from the Whare Kai pop up store at The Kitchen Project’s headquarters in the Caretaker’s Cottage in Albert Park, just a short walk from campus. The University funded four boxes per class, and students were invited to take away extra produce to experiment with back in their flats.

In each class, students were challenged to create simple meals using what was in the box. From noodles two ways to quick stir fries and dumplings, the focus was on building confidence and showing that good food does not have to be complicated. There was plenty of chopping, stirring and sharing, with students learning new kitchen skills from our team while also learning from one another.

“Many students do not grow up cooking from scratch and are not always sure what to do with a bag of vegetables,” says Connie Clarkson, manager of The Kitchen Project. “These classes are about giving them a starting point. They are fun, low pressure and full of real, practical tips. We are so grateful to the University for partnering with us to bring it to life.”

The classes offered a simple, joyful way to build skills and confidence in the kitchen, while reinforcing the idea that healthy, seasonal food should be accessible to everyone. 

For The Kitchen Project, they also demonstrated the value of working alongside like minded partners the University of Auckland to support food learning across different parts of the community. 

Learning how to cook with what you’ve got is not just a student skill, it’s a life one.