The great big lunch scramble ... with the Egg Guy

Ellie Barrett reckons Dr Seuss’s persistent character Sam I Am was onto a winning thing when he pesters his friend to sample “green eggs and ham”.

“You’ve got to love Sam I Am’s tenacity for without it his friend would never have realised how much he liked green eggs and ham – whether it was in a box, on a boat or on the train,” says Ellie, event manager for The Great Big Lunch Scramble, one of eight Wairarapa based events included in next month’s Visa Wellington On a Plate culinary festival.

It’s this tenacity with which Ellie along with Ian “The Egg Guy” Thomas hopes to inspire a new generation of egg lovers with a hands-on cooking class for children aged 8 - 13 years on August 26 at Masterton’s Copthorne Hotel & Resort Solway Park. The pair aims to challenge young participants to cook four tasty dishes using fresh eggs and local Wairarapa produce as well as cook a delicious lunch for their parents.

“This is a great chance for the kids to whip out their aprons and help Ian, the Egg Guy,” says Ellie. “All the staff at The Grill at the Copthorne Solway Park have disappeared and it's their mission to run the place for the day and cook an amazing lunch for Mum or Dad.”

Ian Thomas, otherwise known as The Egg Guy, says the event is about not only about teaching kids how to cook easy and delicious meals made from eggs and fresh local products, its about having fun and inspiring them to create more dishes at home.

Ellie is no stranger to inspiring young foodies. Having cooked from an early age herself under the guidance of her parents - her father Roger Barrett owns Providore Food and Catering in Martinborough – Ellie established Genius Children’s Cooking School in 2008. It’s an enterprise she runs part time in the school holidays while balancing her Law and Commerce studies (majoring in strategy, entrepreneurship + management) at the University of Canterbury.

The Great Big Lunch Scramble is one of eight special events taking place around the region during VISA Wellington on a Plate. Others include The Lighthouse Gin Cocktail Party (Aug 11); Matahiwi Estate’s 'Winemaker For a Day Lunch' (Aug 12); The Invitational Hummus Festival (Aug 18); Lunar Degustation – Taste the Influence of the Moon at Cafe Medici (Aug 18); Currying Flavour at Lot Eight (Aug 11, 18, 25);

Preston’s Woolshed Lunch at Pirinoa Station (Aug 19) and An ‘Offally’ Scottish Affair at Gladstone Vineyard (Aug 19).

In addition six local restaurants will take part in the festival’s flagship event DINE, which offers guests affordable set lunch or dinner menus that include wine. These include Bar Saluté and Wakelin House in Greytown, Cafe Medici in Martinborough, Cafe Solway, Novo Bar and Restaurant and The Grill at Copthorne Hotel and Resort Solway Park in Masterton. Of these, four will also take part in the popular ‘battle of the Burger’, Burger Wellington competition.

Visa Wellington On a Plate 2012 runs from August 10-26. For more information visit www.visawellingtononaplate.com or for bookings to The Great Big Lunch Scramble visit www.geniuscookschools.weebly.com.


BOOKING DETAILS:
The Great Big Lunch Scramble – with the Egg Guy

• Date: 26 August
• Time: 10am - 12.30pm
• Address: Copthorne Hotel & Resort, Solway Park, High Street South, Masterton, Wairarapa
• Price: $52 (includes workshop, 1 child & 1 adult lunch)
• Additional lunches for 11.30am $27.50
• Website:www.geniuscookschools.weebly.com