YOUR INDUSTRY
PIP’S SUCCESSES Words by Glenys Christian
Finalists and judges at the 2020 Kiwi Kids Can Cook Competition
Pip Duncan, who retired as education and marketing manager at vegetables.co.nz at the end of May, has been praised by chairman Andre de Bruin. “Pip’s fantastic work in driving the Cooking Curriculum Project will have lasting benefits for the nation’s health and for vegetable growers,” he says. “What she has been able to achieve along with our project partners The Heart Foundation, the Home Economics and Technical Teachers Association (HETTANZ), the NZ Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools (NZAIMS) and the Ministry of Health will ensure a new generation of consumers for vegetables.” The registered dietician’s move to work for vegetables.co.nz came when she was asked to edit Fresh Inspiration, the vegetables.co.nz tabloid for culinary professionals. She then became the education and marketing manager, running evidence-based, peerreviewed campaigns for all sectors from early childhood education through to aged care. Pip has had a lead role in the vegetables.co.nz partnership with The Heart Foundation for the Curriculum Project.
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This work followed from the Massey University Curriculum research with Year 7 and 8 teachers in 2016, which identified that only 13% of students were able to plan and prepare a complete meal as a key learning objective. Teachers asked for relevant teaching tools and resources in order to equip their students with fundamental life skills to be able to cook a healthy meal within their own budget, cultural and time constraints. This led to the 2018 launch of Year 7 and 8 Unit plans and resources, based on the technology process, developed with teachers for teachers. “We’re definitely moving in the right direction,” she says. “Kids are learning to love vegetables.” Pip has attended many health conferences as well as conferences for teachers and cooking professionals to promote vegetables, as well as being involved in organising and judging two nationwide competitions sponsored by vegetables.co.nz. The Kiwi Kids Can Cook (KKCC) final will be held in November, and the prestigious National Secondary School Culinary competition in September. In 2020, both these competitions held four weeks of online promotions with kids presenting their vegetables dishes in short videos. Fortunately, eight regional finals of KKCC were held between lockdowns, and a grand final was held in November in Auckland with kids from the Far North to South Canterbury competing.
