Melonieâs Mapua Village Cookbook
Telecom people are doing some great things, not only inside our business but also in the community too! Melonie Cole of Telecom Nelson has spent much of the last year organising and putting together a fundraising cookbook for her local school.
The Mapua Village Cookbook is a collection of recipes from people within the community. The cookbook was put together by Melonie and Nelson local Talai Hayward from the Mapua School parent and teacher association (PTA) to fundraise for a new multi-purpose indoor space for the school's growing roll. Pulse put a few questions to Melonie about the cookbook project.
 Why did you decide to create the Mapua Village Cookbook?
Melonie Cole:Â The growing roll at Mapua has meant that there is no single place within the school or Mapua village where the students can meet or do sports or cultural activities under cover. The community has begun fund-raising for a large indoor space / multi-purpose facility which we envisage would be used by the school and wider community.
We are very aware that Mapua, in the Tasman region, is fast-coming a popular place to live and visit. The Taste Tasman Cycle Trail comes right through Mapua and we have a steady stream of visitors at all times of the year. We really wanted to capture the essence of our community in this book, so it features over 100 recipes donated from friends and families of the school as well as from local cafes, restaurants, bars and shops.
We didnât have a theme as such for the book when we started, but it quickly evolved into something very âNelsonâ and we feel it really showcases our beautiful region with its culinary and scenic delights.
 Whatâs your connection with Mapua School?
I have a son at school, Harvey, heâs eight and in year four. The kids have really got into the whole cookbook thing â some classes are looking at the business and creative aspects as part of their classwork and others are proudly doing their bit to sell it. Iâm sure others will appreciate that being a working mum has its fair share of challenges. I wanted to contribute my time and skills to a fundraising initiative that I could fit in around working hours, and that would get me more connected to the school and the wider community.Â
 Why did you choose to develop a cookbook to fundraise?
There is nothing like it in the region, we figured it would be a long and challenging project but the financial rewards overall would far out-weigh holding hundreds of sausage sizzles, movie nights, calendars, and selling of chocolate bars (to people who donât really want it!) to raise funds for the school. Doing something a bit different to what PTAâs are usually known for was a bit of a risk but we had great support from the school and local community from start to finish.
  Do you have a recipe in the book? If yes, why did you choose it?
Iâve contributed a Thai Green Curry which is a family favourite â quick and easy, also a Baked Lemon Cheesecake which is a special occasion hit! Many recipes feature seasonal produce from the beautiful Tasman region, including tomatoes, apples, and seafood.
 Whatâs your favourite recipe from the book and why?
Of course I have to say they are all good, but the salad ones are pretty special.
 How long did the book take to create and what was the most challenging part about it?
It was just over a year in the making. We completely underestimated how much time such a big project would take but we wanted to end up with something people would pick up and go âwow â thatâs amazingâ so it was good not to rush it. We thought it would be challenging to find people to help with the many aspects of putting a cookbook together. But we found that people gave generously of their time and skills (including our designer, food photographer and local businesses) when we told them all profits were going straight to the school.
 What was your favourite part about working on the project?
It was great to be able to utilise business experience and skills to benefit the school. Seeing something like this right through from start to finish meant I needed to develop things like a business case and marketing plan. Past experience as a project manager and in the publishing industry certainly helped! Aside from all the business stuff, it was a very creative project to be involved in. We made every recipe in the book and one of my favourite parts was styling the food for the photos â we did 40 recipes a day so it was pretty full on. Now we are at the point where copies are flying out the door and the feedback has been incredible. We are basking in the glow of success and relief that such a big gamble has paid off!
 How can people get their hands on the cookbook?
We have been overwhelmed with the interest in this book â people are buying for themselves, for gifts, and for business customers. Our first print run of 500 has sold out already! It was, and continues to be a really exciting thing to be involved in. Like us on Facebook or contact Melonie for more information.