New recipe for Temple kitchen

Something's cooking at Gurdwara Sri Kalgidhar Sahib in Takaanini.

To be fair, there's nothing new about that, with the Gurdwara well used to whacking out catering on a grand scale, feeding thousands at a time.

But now the largest gurdwara of its kind in New Zealand, which often works alongside the Papakura and Manurewa local boards in community initiatives, has a new commercial kitchen that will make its role in the event of emergency even more secure.

Located in Takanini School Road, the gurdwara is a place of worship for members of the New Zealand Sikh community, and a sporting and educational hub for the whole community.

Manurewa Local Board chair Matt Winiata whips up a quick dish.

Papakura Local Board member Kelvin Hieatt says it provided thousands of cooked meals and food parcels to needy families during the 2021 Covid lockdowns and subsequent weather-related emergencies.

"For that, we are truly grateful for the generous support of our Punjabi brothers and sisters who selflessly help others whenever the need is there."

Auckland Councillor Daniel Newman says that support inspired the Wiri Licensing Trust and its funding partner Trillian Trust to work with the Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand to fund a full replacement commercial kitchen.

Newman is also deputy chair of the licensing trust and says the gurdwara's kitchen was showing signs of wear.

Someone has to wash up too, and Papakura Local Board member Kelvin Hieatt proved a dab hand.

"There's no way the Society could have provided up to 6,000 cooked meals day-after-day through the years without suffering wear and tear in the kitchen.

"That's why the trust wanted to act, and I have to thank chair Brian Blake and our general manager Kim Green for backing the project. The Supreme Sikh Society's Daljit Singh was outstanding to work with and always believed the upgrade could be delivered on time and in budget."

As a community asset for the whole community, the gurdwara is a regional asset, Manurewa Local Board Chair Matt Winiata says.

"Anyone who needs a meal can come here and support will be provided. I don't think we could have found a better project to collaborate on than the replacement of the commercial kitchen."

Both Hieatt and Winiata joined Cr Newman at the gurdwara recently to check out the facility, adding Indian-style cooking to their skills - though Hieatt was soon consigned to dish-washing duty.

"It's been a pleasure to be able to help the gurdwara," Newman says. "But I think we'll restrict ourselves to continuing to work with the temple and leave the cooking to the experts."

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