Men’s Kitchen: Northern beaches volunteer group helps older men cook up a storm
Men aged into their 90s are learning to cook and turn out exotic dishes at Men’s Kitchen cookery sessions on the northern beaches.
Manly
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“Old dogs, new tricks and great mates”.
That’s the slogan of the Men’s Kitchen, an organisation helping older blokes across the northern beaches learn how to cook, or gain more confidence in the kitchen.
Organised by the not-for-profit outfit, which started in 2016, the 12 monthly sessions — across three venues — are attracting men from retired bus drivers to chemical engineers and corporate lawyers, aged between 60 and 95.
Some of the men are widowers, who are only just getting to know their way around a kitchen after their wives passed away and having to cook full meals for themselves for the first time.
Others are carers, who’ve had to step up and provide meals for their bedridden or less mobile life partners.
And there are blokes who have cooked all their adult lives, but want to broaden their repertoire and add some variety to their daily dishes.
For some participants, it’s the first time they’ve had a go at cooking something “exotic” like Moroccan chicken with couscous or lamb souvlaki.
Men’s Kitchen is also a chance for older men, who may have lost a life partner or who need a break from caring from their elderly wives or disabled adult children, to be with other blokes for a few hours and swap a few stories as well as recipes.
They gather in groups of 10, with two experienced volunteer cooking instructors, at classes held at Forestville, Warriewood and Warringah mall at Brookvale. There’s also a class now at the Turramurra Uniting Church.
The group is broken up into pairs, with each pair given a specific task for the session. A main course and a dessert is prepared under the guidance of the instructors.
When the meal is cooked, the men gather around a table for lunch. They then have a discussion about what dished they are going to tackle at the next session and work out who is going to volunteer to buy the ingredients at the supermarket.
Each participant chips in $15 per cooking session.
Peter Rudland, 95, who co-founded Men’s Kitchen and still attends sessions at the Forestville Community Hall, explained how the organisation started.
In 2013, Mr Rudland and several other men joined a “Male Carer” cooking group run by the NSW Health Department at Narrabeen, to help men looking after partners who were ill.
“It used to be in the Narrabeen Tram Shed community Centre, but the Health Department withdrew support.
“So I said ‘bugger it” to the five other guys, and we started our own organisation out of the Forestville Memorial Hall with support from Forestville RSL and the local Rotary club.
“And it’s grown from there.”
Men’s Kitchen president and co-founder, Peter Watson, said participant came from all walks of life who stand elbow to elbow in the kitchen.
Mr Watson said while many older men struggled to adapt to changes in their life after they retired, Men’s Kitchen provided an opportunity to embrace those changes.
“Firstly by learning more about the preparation of food, and secondly by providing a great forum to discuss changes in your life with other ‘Old Dogs’ who are going through similar life events.
“ And having developed confidence in the kitchen, men will be more likely to remain in their own home longer, be better fed and able to do so safely with less social isolation.”
JOHN COYE, 86, BELROSE
The retired illustrator and artist, who worked in the advertising industry, said he was “roped in” to coming to Men’s Kitchen sessions when he was “accosted” with a handful of pamphlets by its co-founder Peter Watson about six years ago.
Mr Coye’s wife Sandra, had died in 2009 of motor-neurone disease (MND) and he was caring for his handicapped adult daughter Sonya at the time.
“My wife was a good cook,” he said.
“During the period she had MND I had to do all the cooking. It was nothing fancy.
“When she died I thought my cooking really had to step up a few notches.
“Men’s Kitchen has made my cooking more inspired, more adventurous.”
Once a month Mr Coye and an old friend from Beacon Hill host lunches at each other’s homes.
“We chose a recipe that’s complicated and give it a go.”
RAY MCGIMPSEY, 95, BELROSE
Growing up on a sheep farm in the back blocks of New Zealand meant that most meals Ray McGimpsey prepared were made with “mutton, mutton and more mutton”.
Now the 95-year-old can turn his hand to more exotic fare like pomegranate stuffed chicken.
For the retired chemical engineer, whose wife, Joy, died four years ago, he cherished the companionship he received when he attended the monthly at the kitchen in the Forestville Community Hall. He now does the classes via Zoom due to mobility issues.
“In the last four or five years of Joy’s life I took over all the cooking, so I could give her a break,” Mr McGimpsey said.
“I found the Men’s Kitchen was great.
“It was fantastic for companionship, to meet new people and talk.
“And it broadens your repertoire quite a bit.”
Mr McGimpsey revealed before he discovered Men’s Kitchen that his signature dish, usually cooked on a Sunday, was spaghetti and meatballs.
“Now I’m doing a lot more exotic dishes like lamb souvlaki, things like that.
“When I was growing up, we never heard of things like that. On the farm it was mutton, mutton and more mutton and that was it.”
BRUCE JOHNSON, 77, DAVIDSON
Before his wife, Anne, died three years ago, this retired senior sales manager wasn’t a regular visitor to their kitchen to cook the family meals.
Mr Johnson said he was an expert with the tongs in hand at the barbecues, but not much use in the kitchen.
“I did all the barbecues,” he said.
“But when Anne died I had to learn how to cook properly.
“She did all the cooking.”
Since coming to the cooking sessions for about two years, Mr Johnson said he tries cooking anything that’s in the Men’s Kitchen official book of 100 recipes.
“I’ll have a go at everything. And the recipe book is fantastic. It has large printing and comments about where you can buy the ingredients.”
PETER RUDLAND, 95, KILLARNEY HEIGHTS
This retired chemical engineer, who stopped working full-time at age 63, was a co-founder of Men’s Kitchen and one of its official life members.
He still turns up at the monthly cooking sessions at Forestville Community Hall and puts his $15 in the kitty to pay for the ingredients.
“It’s great for social contact, Mr Rudland said.
“They’re a great bunch of blokes.”
He said his wife Joyce always did he grocery shopping and most of the cooking.
“I do most of the shopping now and we share the cooking.
“But you’re always learning something new here, every time you come.”
JOHN SHIRBIN, 72, POTTS POINT
The retied corporate lawyer motors across the Sydney Harbour and Spit bridges from the eastern suburbs to the monthly Friday session st Forestville.
He said his wife Glenda saw an ad for Men’s Kitchen.
“I thought they were everywhere, but it’s not in the eastern suburbs, so here I am.”
Mr Shirbin said he had run out of excuses not to cook once he’d retired.
“Cooking for me before that was toast and baked beans in the microwave. I was encouraged by Glenda to sign up.
“The secret of this group is the instructors. They are great educators and great company.”
“They are the glue that keeps it functioning. And how generous are they with their time?”
SUZY SHALLVEY, INSTRUCTOR, DAVIDSON
This volunteer instructor for Men’s Kitchen said she gives up her time because she wants to give something back to the community.
“I love cooking,” Ms Shallvey said.
“I love being around the men They’re great guys. They all have an interesting past and stories to tell.
“And my dad is in the United Kingdom and they remind me of him.”
Check out some of favourite recipes on the Men’s Kitchen website.
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