Here Comes the Chef!

Here Comes the Chef! Program is focused on empowering young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island mums to enjoy cooking real and nourishing meals for themselves and their children.

At Gunawirra, we believe cooking and sharing meals together is an event for growth and nourishment, family, confidence and culture.

“It has been really special and rewarding to work with Aboriginal communities to close the gap in health inequality between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. At Gunawirra, we believe food plays a major part in the holistic wellbeing of mothers, families and communities. Food is so important as a way of nourishing the body for growth and development and nourishing the mind and spirit for emotional wellbeing”

Chantelle Vella
Community and Public Health Nutritionist for Here Comes the Chef! Program

Growth and Nourishment

Nutritious food is incredibly important for healthy growth and development of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children. Our community nutritionist supports mothers in learning about how to best nourish themselves during all stages of motherhood. The program focuses on helping to support mothers to shop for and cook simple, affordable and nourishing meals for themselves and their babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

Confidence and Community

Cooking and eating is a family, community and cultural activity that nourishes the body and mind. Our program is community focused because the mothers gather to share a meal and learn to cook delicious and nutritious meals together. This empowers them to shift away from easy purchases of fast food towards cooking real nourishing food with confidence. The mothers collaborate to design a menu for the next week as a group with the support of a nutritionist. Our nutritionist also provides the mums with 1-1 nutrition support, and shares strategies for managing fussy eating and emotional eating.

Culture

Gunawirra understands the importance of culture in developing a healthier relationship with food and cooking for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island mothers, families and communities. The mothers have access to a garden with lots of fresh produce. We also share traditional recipes from Aboriginal culture and discover about the medicinal properties of native bush food.

In partnership with Shared Knowledge

Drew Roberts is an Arakwal, Bundjalung man from the Northern Rivers who transfers knowledge to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island mothers at Gunawirra.

“At Shared Knowledge, we deliver an authentic Aboriginal experience on country around bush food identification, collection, processing and cooking. I am teaching the skills that I was lucky enough to grow up with. We look at songlines, with awareness to only collect certain things at certain times. This transfer of cultural knowledge is a part of their identity, and they can pass along this knowledge to their kids.”

Drew Roberts | Director at Shared Knowledge

Shared Knowledge is an Aboriginal-owned, small business that delivers customised Aboriginal cultural workshops, specialising in multifaceted, innovative and culturally incorporative practices. At Shared Knowledge they were taught that Knowledge is not something that you own in Aboriginal Nations, but something you share. Their vision is to contribute to a thriving Community with Responsibility, Respect and Reciprocity.

Growth and Nourishment

Confidence and Community

Culture

In partnership with Shared Knowledge

Company

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