WHY YOU SHOULD COOK

The irony couldn’t be stronger. In an age dominated by images of food, across everything from Netflix to Instagram, from chef documentaries to bloggers documenting their every mouthful, we’re cooking less than we ever did. Not surprisingly, it emerged last year that 70% of Kiwis eat dinner in front of television at least one night a week, and just 50% say they cook every day; a third of us don’t like cooking at all.

Instead of cooking, we’re getting Uber Eats and My Food Bag delivered and we’re buying ready-meals from the supermarket. We’re working longer hours, and commuting for longer, too; we barely even have time to shop, let alone cook. In households where both parents work, the act of producing dinner has become just one more thing to do in a day that’s already overloaded.

If you’re a cook, that’s something to feel