My Account
One of New Zealand’s favourite cooks, Dame Alison Holst, who lives in Orewa, has been writing a monthly column for Hibiscus Matters for six years. I will never forget my first meeting with Alison, which was when she did a cooking demonstration at Orewa Library around six years ago. Her reputation as one of New Zealand’s most popular cooks, of course preceded her; there must be scarcely a household in the country that does not contain one of her recipe books.
Share your memories or thoughts about Alison Holst below.
Alison was polite, friendly and very professional but made it clear that, as a journalist, you had to earn her trust and this resulted in many conversations before we were permitted to start publishing her monthly column in our paper in May, 2009. Over the years she became a staunch supporter of Hibiscus Matters and said she had a great deal of feedback when she was out shopping locally.She also got a lot of community feedback as a result of a story we ran about her painting, when she put some of her artworks in an Easter exhibition at Orewa Community Church. And in fact, it is painting and gardening, not cooking, that Alison and I talked about.
Alison made her first television programme in 1965, a few months after the introduction of television to New Zealand. She published her first best selling cookbook the following year and has published more than 100 books since then, selling more than three million copies and remaining loyal to Hyndman Publishing. In 2011 she was made Dame Companion of the NZ Order of Merit.
Alison officially “hung up her apron” last year and is enjoying her retirement, painting and walking on the beach with her husband Peter and dog, Lucy. While she will always be interested in food, Alison’s memory is declining, and the deadlines of developing recipes and writing is a stress that she no longer needs. The family encourage you to support the work of the Alzheimer’s Society and Age Concern, and to share your food and meals with those you love. This issue features her last column.
If you would like to share memories or thoughts about Alison Holst, add your comment below or write to Hibiscus Matters – Unit G, Tamariki Plaza, Cammish Lane, Orewa, 0931, email terry@localmatters.co.nz or on Facebook. We will publish as many as we can and ensure that all the letters are also passed on to Alison and her family.
