At New Shoots Tauriko, nourishing food and heartfelt care go hand in hand – and that’s thanks to our wonderful centre chef, Donna Cameron.
After beginning her New Shoots journey at our Papamoa centre, Donna brought her love of healthy, home-style cooking to Tauriko, where she’s already making a big impact in the kitchen. We sat down with her to chat about her passion for food, her approach to fussy eaters, and what exciting new traditions she’s cooking up for our Tauriko whānau.
What led you to becoming a chef at New Shoots?
I’ve been in the food industry for a number of years. Lots of long hours and working weekends. New Shoots appealed to me because the hours fit in with my children. I was the chef at Papamoa for 5 years before starting here at New Shoots Tauriko in September.
How has your experience at Papamoa influenced the way you approach your role at Tauriko?
I loved my time at Papamoa. I think the relationships you build with children and families are really important. I think building special connections and making the children feel special is a great reward from the job.
What do you enjoy most about working as a chef in an early learning environment?
It’s not pressure like working in a commercial Kitchen. You can make the role really fun and be quite creative. I like working alongside the teachers and getting to know the children. They become your little mates.
Do you have a favourite meal or snack that tamariki love?
I think every child loves spaghetti, and the banana bread bites seem to be a hit. You can find the recipe I use for the Banana Bites here.
We have a six-week rotating menu with plenty of variety for the children. Each week includes a balance of beef, chicken, fish, and vegetarian dishes, plus a sandwich day. I love adding healthy baking to the mix and often experiment with ingredients like chickpeas in different ways.
We know you’ve started a garden at Tauriko – what inspired this, and how do you see it connecting to the tamariki’s food journey?
I have a veggie garden at home; I love growing things that’s my happy place. The garden we planted at Tauriko is growing quite nicely. I have planted things like purple carrots to make the children’s meals more colourful.
We’re teaching the children not to pull the plants out. They love helping water the garden with their little watering cans. When it comes time to harvest the veggies, we will get the children involved and talk about what we’re going to cook with the food.
What do you love most about being a centre chef?
I love getting to know the children and finding out what they really enjoy eating. It’s so nice to see those who are fussy at home happily eating at New Shoots. Being around their friends and seeing everyone else eat often encourages them to try new foods, which is really rewarding to watch. When a child’s hesitant, I make it my goal to find something they’ll enjoy.
What’s your vision for the kitchen at Tauriko as it continues to grow?
My goal is to make food at Tauriko both healthy and fun. We’re planning to create a few of our own kitchen traditions – little things that make the centre feel special. Birthdays will be a big part of that, with a cupcake for the birthday child and maybe even some cake-baking with their friends. We’ll also celebrate cultural days with food that reflects those celebrations and the diversity of our centre.
From fresh herbs in the garden to warm muffins out of the oven, Donna’s kitchen is full of heart. We’re so lucky to have her as part of our Tauriko whānau — keeping our tamariki nourished, inspired, and always ready for their next bite.
Read more about New Shoots Children’s Centre Tauriko here
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