Photography: Emily Chalk
Oh, there’s been a lot of tears, that’s for sure.” And just like that, Allyson Gofton’s eyes fill again. It’s a miserable winter morning, rain hammering against the café windows, and we’re barely five minutes into coffee with the iconic Kiwi foodie when the conversation turns to the subject guaranteed to undo her: the empty nest.
Allyson can only laugh as she wipes away a tear. She knows how ridiculous it sounds. After all, her children haven’t disappeared.
Jean-Luc, 23, is studying European policy and international affairs in Christchurch, and Olive-Rose, 19, is six months into an agriculture diploma at Lincoln University. In fact, Olive-Rose is sitting beside her mum today, home in Cambridge for a mid-semester break and looking mildly amused by the tears.
Their mother is incredibly proud of her children, who she welcomed late in life after years of gruelling fertility treatment. And theoretically, at least, Allyson, 65, and husband Warwick, 68, finally have the time and space to take a breath.
Yet still, six months after her youngest left home to follow her passion for farming, the beloved Food in a Minute star is still adjusting to the transition.
“I just miss them so much,” she admits, shaking her head at herself.
“But at the same time, you find the sadness turns into joy because they ring you and they’re laughing, and they’re discovering their world and their passion. And so you think, ‘Job well done’. You want your kids to fly – and that’s what they’re doing, they’re flying now.”
A new chapter in the kitchen
It’s been a good few years since Allyson sat down for a magazine interview and longer still since she was a regular presence on television, but there’s something wonderfully unchanged about her – the warmth, generosity and infectious enthusiasm for cooking that made her one of New Zealand’s most beloved food personalities.
For almost three decades, as a food editor, cookbook author and the face of Food in a Minute, she inspired generations of Kiwis to get into the kitchen.
Eight years ago, however, Allyson and her family swapped Auckland for a quieter life in idyllic Waikato town Cambridge, stepping away from both the rat race and the spotlight.
It felt like the right decision. After years of juggling television, publishing and public life, Allyson wanted to immerse herself in her children’s world – and immerse herself she did. Weekends were spent on sports sidelines, afternoons ferrying teenagers from one activity to the next and family life became the centre of everything.
Warwick embraced the change too, selling his cosmetics company after 27 years and relishing the chance to spend more time with Jean-Luc and Olive-Rose.
Which is why Allyson assumed her cookbook-writing days were behind her. She still spent hours in the kitchen, but in this new life, food was for joy, rather than work. Yet today, she’s beaming as she pulls a copy of her latest project, Give, from her bag and slides it across the table.
“Isn’t it gorgeous?” she says, admiring the finished product.
Cooking with kindness
A collaboration with Breast Cancer Cure, the beautifully photographed book is packed with seasonal recipes designed to be shared with people who might need a little kindness.
And despite having written more than 20 cookbooks, seeing a new one in print still feels every bit as exciting.
“You open up the package when it arrives and you go, ‘Oh, my God, it’s here!’ It’s an amazing kind of joy because with every book, you put so much into it. And this one really was a passion project.”
The idea for Give arrived unexpectedly during a dog walk with her schnauzer-foxy cross Mattie around Lake Karapiro a few years ago. Looking out across the water, Allyson spotted a group of women dressed in various shades of pink paddling across the lake on paddleboards. She later discovered they were breast cancer survivors taking part in an awareness event.
“They stopped me in my tracks because they all seemed so joyous during a time that had been full of such angst.”
The moment stirred something in her. Looking at the women, many of whom were similar in age to those who had supported her throughout her career, Allyson suddenly found herself thinking about how she might give something back.
“It’s hard to explain, but I saw in those women the people who bought my Food in a Minute cookbooks,” she says.
“Those women gave me the career I’d always dreamed of. I thought surely that person who was Allyson Gofton could do something to support their journey.”
A gift of love
Dedicated to her best friend Pennie, who went through breast cancer treatment over a decade ago, Give is a book close to Allyson’s heart. It donates $30 from every book sold to Breast Cancer Cure.
It’s a cause that resonates deeply because Allyson has always believed food is about far more than what’s on the plate. A homemade gift means much more than an expensive bunch of flowers or packaged food, she insists, and it doesn’t need to be perfect.
“People don’t necessarily need you there,” she says.
“But they do need to know they’re loved. A little gift of food is such a beautiful way of saying, ‘I’m here if you need me.’ It’s a gift of love.”
A tradition of giving
The idea of homemade gifting isn’t new. In fact, Allyson can trace it back to her own parents, who were always helping others in their community. She also points to one of the most influential women in her life – her former boss and mentor, legendary New Zealand Woman’s Weekly food editor Tui Flower. She remembers Tui making asparagus rolls and cheese scones for her in hospital after the births of each baby.
Allyson recalls, “She would call Warwick up and tell him to come and collect them for me each day.”
And unsurprisingly, Jean-Luc and Olive-Rose remain among the most frequent recipients of Allyson’s love. Every week or so, care packages from Mum arrive at their student digs – chocolate chip cookies for Olive-Rose, afghans for Jean-Luc, homemade biltong and mustard sauce. There’s also whatever recipe their mother happens to be testing that week.
She laughs, “The girls at the Post Office look at me when I walk in on a Monday morning and they go, ‘Oh, yes, here she is again.’ But I think this is one way of not losing that connection. Just because they leave home doesn’t mean you stop doing things for them. You just do them differently.”
The children she never gave up on
Perhaps that fierce desire to stay connected with her children is understandable, given how hard-won motherhood was. After divorcing from her first husband in her early thirties, Allyson didn’t meet husband Warwick until several years later. As the story goes, he turned up on her doorstep after she’d advertised for a flatmate. Instead of moving in, they began dating. A few years later, they were married – but by the time they started trying for children, they found they needed fertility treatment.
What followed was a relentless five-year IVF journey, with Jean-Luc arriving when Allyson was 42. When attempts to conceive a second child with her own eggs were unsuccessful, Allyson’s close friend Sandra Paul made an extraordinary gift, donating her eggs so Olive-Rose could be conceived. She was born when
Allyson was 46.
“We worked with a specialist who asked at one stage, ‘Have you thought of giving up?’ And I told him no. I think my brain was telling me to stop, but my heart hadn’t got there yet. Those IVF years were hard yakka, but we were incredibly fortunate. We came so close to not having these two children.”
The gift of family
Having been adopted herself, and raised in a close-knit family in Tasmania with her parents Max and Ivy, and her adopted brother, Allyson says she never struggled with Olive-Rose’s unconventional conception. The moment she fell pregnant, she knew this little girl was simply her daughter.
“I have this understanding that a family is what you make it. Sometimes they come from you, sometimes they’re adopted, sometimes they’re fostered, sometimes you need a little extra help to get your family. It doesn’t matter in the end because a family is so much more than biology.”
Allyson met her birth mother just the once and was able to pass on her mum Ivy’s message, which was “thank you for the gift of a family”.
“I think it’s brave and amazing to do what she did,” reflects Allyson.
They’re also in regular contact with Sandra, Olive-Rose’s egg donor, who the family describe as their fairy godmother.
“She’s very special,” says Allyson.
A bond like no other
Watching Allyson and Olive-Rose together, there’s no doubting their bond. They spend much of the photoshoot laughing together as our stylist coaxes Olive-Rose out of her usual Swanndri and gumboots and into something a little more glamorous. It’s a rare transformation for the teenager, whose happy place is in the paddocks.
In fact, the pair has just returned from a road trip around Taranaki, visiting farms and stopping in Eltham, where Allyson first arrived as an exchange student almost 50 years ago. Back home in Cambridge, Olive-Rose’s beloved horse Max and her three Angus “beefies” can be seen from the kitchen window.
“For as long as I can remember, Olive-Rose has always wanted to be outside,” says Allyson.
“She’s been drawn to animals in quite an amazing way – she just loves them.”
So it came as no surprise when she announced she wanted to become a farmer, and now, studying agriculture at Lincoln University, she’s exactly where she wants to be.
“I love it,” says Olive-Rose, who was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child.
She says school wasn’t always easy, but Allyson became her fiercest advocate. Her parents have always backed her dream to follow farming.
“Mum has just never failed me,” says Olive-Rose.
“She’s so supportive and loving. She’s my whole world.”
But the pair laugh when asked whether Olive-Rose has inherited her mother’s talent and passion for cooking.
“No, I definitely failed there,” Allyson grins, admitting Olive-Rose would happily eat steak and potatoes every night.
Finding joy in the next chapter
While Jean-Luc loves experimenting in the kitchen, his sister has never been particularly interested in food.
“I just leave the cooking to Mum because she’s so good at it,” she laughs.
And Allyson doesn’t mind in the slightest. She’s never believed in forcing children to eat things they’re not ready for.
She explains, “Food should be a journey of discovery – of finding and experiencing all the beautiful flavours that the world has to offer. We don’t need to rush kids into knowing all the different flavours because one of the joys of life is uncovering that for yourself.”
Besides, Olive-Rose was always too busy outside with her animals to bother with cooking – something her mum took great joy from.
Allyson shares, “So when you look out the window at your daughter on her horse, do you bring her inside and say, ‘You need to learn to cook’? No, you let her do what she loves. It has been a complete joy watching Olive-Rose discover her passion for the land and animals.”
Never too old for a new chapter
With both children now spreading their wings, Allyson is finding herself with more time to reflect. She still can’t quite believe that, at 65, she is, as she puts it, “officially old”.
“It really hit me when they gave me the Gold Card,” she laughs, insisting she has no intention of actually growing old.
“I won’t be joining a Bridge club! And I’ll try not to become a professional moaner.”
Retirement, it seems, isn’t on the cards. She recently took on a part-time job at Cambridge womenswear boutique Bettie Monroe, relishing something she hasn’t had for years – workmates.
“We’re a little team and I tell you, these girls bring so much joy to my life,” she smiles.
“We chitchat all day, then keep chitchatting on WhatsApp afterwards. One of them’s a farmer and brings in fresh Jersey cream some mornings. Oh, my goodness, it’s divine.”
Two-star travellers
She swims several times a week, tends her flower garden and is already working on another cookbook project with Hamilton Gardens. But eventually, when Olive-Rose and Jean-Luc no longer need a home base, Allyson and Warwick have travel plans. Warwick works part-time at the company he used to own.
Their next big adventure will include India, Sri Lanka, Madeira and Ireland. They also have another trip to their beloved France planned, where the family was based for several years when the kids were young.
“Warwick and I are two-star travellers,” admits Allyson.
“You sometimes arrive at a place and think ‘Uh-oh, this isn’t flash,’ but we never regret it because the experience is just so much more interesting,” she says.
“You meet real people, eat real food and really discover a place at two stars. If you’re at the top level, you don’t get an authentic experience.”
She is endlessly grateful to have Warwick and muses on what it is that has made their 35-year marriage successful.
“I remember asking my mother that question and she said she learned to zip it,” she says, miming zipping her lips and throwing away the key.
“But that’s not something I ever learnt!”
The sectrey to their lasting love
Instead, she believes a good marriage is about respect and admiration. She has both of those things in spades for Warwick. He’s also been the best father she could have wished to have for Jean-Luc and Olive-Rose.
“He has beautiful bonds with them both,” she enthuses.
“I think that’s one of the big upsides of being older parents – we have had more time to be with them.”
Looking back, Allyson sees her life as a series of chapters. There have been difficult ones and extraordinary ones, but every chapter has shaped the next.
She still shakes her head at the career that unfolded after she moved to New Zealand from Tasmania. Food-writing at the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly led to Next magazine, where she became food editor, along with work in advertising and PR. But it was Food in a Minute that changed everything.
Born from a 1990s study revealing that 80 per cent of home cooks still had no idea what they were making for dinner by 4pm, the bite-sized Wattie’s-sponsored cooking segment became a national institution. It quickly became a familiar part of Kiwi households. Every evening, just before the six o’clock news, Allyson was beamed into more than 750,000 living rooms with an answer to the nightly question: “What’s for dinner?”
Her dream job
She wrote seven bestselling Food in a Minute cookbooks and travelled the country giving cooking demonstrations. She visited everywhere from shearing sheds to country halls. And just like that, Allyson became a household name. For someone who simply wanted to help busy families put nourishing food on the table, it was the dream job.
While the kitchens became sleeker and the production values bigger, Allyson remained reassuringly unchanged – the warm, familiar face who arrived each evening. She reminded us that dinner didn’t have to be complicated. Who could forget classics like the potato pom-pom shepherd’s pie?
“I just loved what I did there,” she says.
“I absolutely loved encouraging people to cook a family meal. It was a dream come true.”
After 12 years and more than 600 recipes later, Allyson signed off from the show for the final time in late January 2009. She still puts it all down to good fortune.
“I was just lucky. I have no other word for it. I got to live my dreams. Hopefully, what I did helped the women of New Zealand keep cooking in their kitchens for their families.”
Her greatest achievement
She’s immensely proud of that career. But it’s her family that remains her greatest achievement. Even now, more than two decades after their miracle children arrived, she and Warwick never take them for granted.
Allyson confides, “Most nights, over a glass of wine, one of us will say, ‘Gosh, we’re so lucky. We’re so lucky to have them.’ They’re completely different personalities, but they’ve both got the most beautiful hearts. They’re kind and good people, and we’re so proud of them.”
And Allyson happily admits that when university holidays roll around and her children return home, she goes into overdrive – stocking the fridge and preparing meals. She also makes sure there are gin and tonics on hand. Sitting around the table as a foursome is still her favourite thing in the world.
“We just love being part of their conversations and hearing their most amazing stories,” says Allyson.
“It means we get to remember what it was like to be young. I love viewing the world through their eyes. I think that’s the biggest challenge – letting go of that protective mothering instinct and letting them make their own decisions. Yes, there will be heartbreaks and mistakes, and all of that, but it’s just part of growing up. And I’m just so happy that they still choose to come home. “A young life is for living. The kids are in charge now and I’m hanging on for the ride.”
Allyson smiles as she reflects, “I think this stage of life is a bit like autumn. There’s still lots of flowers on the tree and lots of lovely green leaves, but the weather’s changing. Home feels different now, but there’s still so much to enjoy and be grateful for.”
Coming to a venue near you!
Allyson is taking her cookbook Give on the road. You can meet her, hear her stories and have your copy signed all while raising much-needed funds for breast cancer research.
Wellington: 7 September
Nelson: 8 September
Hamilton: 14 September
Mt Maunganui: 15 September
Auckland: 21 September
Christchurch: 23 September
Tickets cost $49.99 and include a copy of Give. Tickets are available at breatcancercure.org.nz/pages/give
Cook in style
Admiring the pretty print on Give’s cover? You’ll be happy to know that there is also a delightful range of aprons and tea towels in the stylish floral.
The products also raise money for Breast Cancer Cure and are avaliable for exclusive preorder at breatcancercure.org.nz/pages/give with delivery from September 4.
