The Rosewood Community Food Project has kicked off its first Family Feeds cooking workshop for 2026, with a strong community response and a fully booked program already underway.
Delivered through the Rosewood & District Support Centre, the Family Feeds sessions are designed to build practical cooking skills, boost food confidence and strengthen local food security in a welcoming and supportive environment.
Week one explored the project’s popular mince variety session, showcasing how one affordable base ingredient can be transformed into multiple family-friendly meals, including spaghetti bolognese. Participants engaged in a live cooking demonstration while completing the preparation of their own ingredients to take home as part of their meal kit, allowing them to cook the meal fresh for dinner that evening. The session also included discussions around budgeting, stretching ingredients and simple flavour variations.
In week two, the group turned its attention to chicken drumsticks, learning two versatile recipes: a comforting chicken curry and baked Italian-style drumsticks served with homemade wedges. The sessions focus not only on cooking techniques, but also on practical skills such as safe food handling, correct storing and freezing of meals and meal planning to reduce waste and save time, and adapting recipes to suit different households and budgets.
Community Food Project Coordinator Skye Petty, said the goal was about much more than just one meal.
“These sessions are about building confidence,” she said. “When people realise they can take simple, affordable ingredients and create multiple meals from them, it builds independence and reduces the stress that can come with feeding a family.”
The workshops also welcomed a visit from Leah Sanderson from Neighbourhood Centres Queensland, who was able to see the program in action, speak with participants about their experiences and enjoy a taste of the meals being created.
“It’s incredibly encouraging to see the engagement, the sharing of ideas and the genuine connection forming around the table,” Skye said.
With two sessions remaining in this current round, the program has already reached capacity.
Community members interested in future Family Feeds workshops can contact the Rosewood Community Centre on 5464 1544 or email rosewoodcommunityfoodproject@gmail.com to register their interest.
The Rosewood Community Food Project is a RADSc initiative, made possible thanks to funding from Neighbourhood Centres Queensland and Rosewood Bendigo Bank.
