The 2012 event is yet to be organised but have a look at what was on offer in 2011

There will be a diverse and exciting range of vegetarian cooking demonstrations, with tasters, and free recipes to take home, here's the line up for this year!

Cooking Demos

11-11.45 Madelene Godfrey; “Tofu Vegetable Quiche”
11.45-12.30 Asmita Makwani; “Chappati Indian Lunch” (Children are invited to participate)
12.30-1.15 Angela Hurley; “Sunflower Seed Patties”
1.15-2pm Samantha Thomas; “Chocolate Cake”
2pm-2.45 Robert Jacobs, Master Chef Contestant; “French Pastries for Dinner”
2.45-3.30 Harpreet Kaur; "Bhel Puri".
3.30- 4.15 Malyavati  from the Lotus-Heart with a Raw Dish; "Zucchini Linguini "Alfredo"and a marbled (chocolate and vanilla) cheesecake

Madelene Godfrey

Madelene was born and raised in a standard Kiwi home in Rangiora. She became vegetarian with her family at the age of four, and became vegan with her family when she was eight.  Madelene has been vegan since. She is now 32, married, and has carried and raised three children on a vegan diet. She still lives on a rural property just out of Rangiora.

Asmita Makwana:

Asmita has taught yoga here in New Zealand for over 27 years now and been involved with running yoga classes with various institutions over this time, including evening classes at Shirley Boys High School and Hornby high School,
Hillmorton High School yoga work shop each year since 2003. She  also conducts vegetarian cooking for Healthy Living classes (Ayurvedic) and Gluten Free classes. She was brought up in a vegetarian family where her grandmother had unique knowledge about Ayurveda. Through the generations the knowledge about Ayurveda has been passed down as her father was able to follow up from her grandmother thus giving Asmita some of the knowledge that she shares with her classes.
At present she runs my own centre of Sunrise Yoga for Healthy Living.
Included in this course is Pregnancy Yoga, Mum + Baby,  Yoga for Children, Beginner yoga, Improver yoga, Open class yoga. Included is Arka Dhyana- Intutive Meditation - Your Touch and Sound as shown by Mr Srinivas Arka. Asmita has also taken Children’s Yoga at the TV2 Kids Fest for the last 5 years with The City Council.
She is a Registered “RYTA 500” Yoga Teacher with Australasian Yoga Institute, Melbourne, with whom she has also conducted Healthy Cooking and Yoga workshops as well. www.shivjag.co.nz

Angela Hurley:

A young mum of about 25 with one child saw the need of looking at the nutrition of her family. On a standard Kiwi diet and a husband who was just hinting at some health issues, she decided to research it. She and her husband had developed a friendship with a vegetarian Dutch couple who were a tremendous help. After two weeks on the vegetarian diet, they were sold on it. The difference was incredible. Angela kept diligently experimenting with foods and by her fourth and last child, the family decided to cut out all animal foods and go fully vegan. That was 26 years ago next month. Angela has tirelessly searched, cooked, experimented and tried it out on her family. She has contributed heavily to recipes in Vegan cookbooks for Kiwis and been very active and effective in presentations to the public in the couple's “What’s Cooking” cooking and nutritional classes. Today, it is pretty much Darby and Joan at home; all the children are married and all four have held to the vegan diet where they possibly can – and they all have enjoyed excellent health and well-being.

Samantha Thomas:

Samantha has been a vegan for almost nine years.  She has two vegan children aged three and one,  and both of her pregnancies were vegan. 
Samantha is very keen to promote all aspects of the vegan lifestyle.  She has baked for the vegetarian youth group, fundraising and for the quiz night.  Samantha hosts the vegetarian book group with an ever changing array of vegan desserts.  She is also the organiser of the vegetarian under fives. 
Samantha loves cooking, baking for family and friends and educating everyone on veganism.

Robert Jacobs

Robert was a finalist in Master Chef New Zealand in 2011 and was the first vegetarian finalist, chosen out of 2000 hopefuls. He contacted the Christchurch Vegetarian Centre out of the goodness of his heart as he wanted to help, and performed a popular and successful cooking demonstration for us in early May.  Now we are giving you another chance! 
Robert is a delightful young man with a real knowledge of food and what flavours go together. He is in his early twenties and currently lives in Wellington.

Harpreet Kaur

Harpreet has lived a decade in New Zealand, and cherishes her roots from her home country, India. However, Christchurch is a home away from home and she feels fortunate to live here.
Whilst raising a family, Harpreet worked as an administrator, an entrepreneur and educator.  She derives pleasure in cooking and hosting friends and family. Once in the kitchen, she loves to experiment.
In her free time, she likes to read, write, meditate and watch movies. She is drawn to poetry, literature and history.  She enjoys the outdoors and makes the most of good weather, as keeping fit and healthy is paramount to her. 
Harpreet likes to volunteer her time to the community and has been involved with various organisations such as the Ethnic Women Council,The Creative Sewing Club and recently the Vegetarian Society.

Malyavati

Malyavati was trained as a vegetarian chef in Montpellier, France and moved to New Zealand in 2005, when she became a member of The Lotus-Heart team. She works as one of the chefs at the restaurant and has a special love for raw cakes, desserts and chocolate. Today she is making us a Zucchini Linguini "Alfredo"(zucchini pasta in white sauce topped with tomato marinara) and a marbled (chocolate and vanilla) cheesecake.