Men’s Kitchen is giving older Canberra men the opportunity to learn how to whip up some meals and make friends along the way.

Its motto: Old Dogs. New Tricks. Great Mates.

Its mission: To empower men with the skills and confidence to cook for themselves and others while fostering social connections and improving overall wellbeing.

Men’s Kitchen Canberra district manager Don White said through the sessions, the men become good at following recipes, learn new skills and gain a deeper understanding of the ingredients they use.

Mr White said some participants have started cooking at home, while for others, someone else still does the cooking.

“The other important thing is when someone’s by themselves at home, they’re getting to meet new men and create friendships, and that’s good for mental health,” he said.

“That was a thing that one of the guys said to me, that when he retired, he lost all of his work relationships.

“He said, ‘It’s okay for my wife because she’s always had her coffee groups or her friend groups.’ So that’s why he came to this kitchen.”

Mr White said the current participants ranged from their fifties to their late eighties. “(But) there’s no age limit,” he said.

Men’s Kitchen began in Curtin in Woden in May 2024, before expanding to Hawker in Belconnen a year later.

Mr White said that while the participants were all men, the instructors were a mix of men and women.

“They’ll follow our recipes, the instructors will guide them, but they won’t do the work for them because we want the men to learn,” he said.

For the inaugural session at Christ Church Hawker on 8 May, the group learnt to make Mongolian beef, rice, stir-fried greens, apple pie and custard — all from scratch and all within an hour-and-a-half!

After the food is cooked, the group sits down to eat the meal and socialise. During this time, they also choose what to make in the following session.

Any leftovers can be taken home to share with others.

Two separate sessions run once a month with up to about 10 participants.

Graham Mitchell from Melba said he loved to eat a variety of dishes but wanted to update his skills.

“I learn through doing. It’s easier for me than studying from books. I’m a sight person, I like to see things happen, and if you make a mistake, it’s part of learning,” Graham said.

Jim Huggett from Dickson said he was excited about the large volume of recipes to choose from.

“I thought there would just be a few recipes, but there’s 102!” he said.

“And the friendships. There’s already talk about going out for coffee.”

Anyone interested in joining the sessions at Hawker or Curtain can contact Don White at [email protected] or call 0456 408 003. For more information visit menskitchen.org.au/canberra-kitchen.

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