Our Charities

Master Chef 2011 Nadia Lim joins Chef Celia for the first Auckland Charity Dinner

On July 18 Master Chef Nadia and Chef Celia teamed up to cook a special menu at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland for 80 guests. This is the first Auckland fundraising event to support the schools programme to Duvauchelle for a day of cooking and fun. Some more rescued wine will be auctioned and maybe even Nadia may let us auction her for an evening meal.

Children of the Earthquake

Children are our future and Celia believes that by teaching young children to cook their own healthy food, our world will be a better place. Through a series of fund-raising events she is raising money to enable groups of children aged 8-10 from Eastern Christchurch to travel to her Duvauchelle Store and Cafe in Akaroa harbour to learn to cook and have some fun.

The fund-raising events started with a four course dinner in late March with guests Mayor Bob Parker and Mayoress Joanna Nicholls-Parker (a NZSFW former student). This was closely followed by two more functions where Chef Tutor Philippe Meyer was auctioned to cook two dinners and some very special wines rescued from earthquake damaged Hay's Restaurant were also auctioned. By April $5000 had been raised.

A series of school groups have now visited Duvauchelle with a group in June from Wainoni School. As Lois Blackie who arranged the day said "the kids arrived at 10.30am, had a quick run around and some morning tea - put into teams - and they made some foccacia dough, while it was proving they did a word find and ate freshly baked choc chip cookies, while the foccacia finished cooking they ate pizzas on the deck and we gave them foccacia in bags to take home they sang us two songs as a thank you".

Celia and the school are grateful for the help of volunteers and especially Strathmore Coachlines who bring the children out.

The Garden to Table Trust (under the auspices of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, Australia)

Helping change the lives of thousands of children, Celia has supported this Trust with a fundraising dinner in December 2010.www.gardentotable.org.nz