A Quick Word With Robyn Malcolm

One of New Zealand television’s best-loved actors on eating baby food, mastering the croquembouche and Southland cheese rolls.

- Jordan Kretchmer

I spent the first half of my childhood in a small town in the north of the South Island called Motueka. I’ve got really strong food memories of Motueka. My father used to fish every weekend and I grew up eating a lot of snapper, herring and cod, plus paua[abalone] and scallops.

When I had kids, I decided to taste all of their baby food. I just thought to myself after trying it, “Why are we feeding them this bland shit? And why do we assume they can’t handle different flavours?” When Charlie [my son] was six months old, I’d let him try oysters, sardines, blue cheese or a lick of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice... Then when he was three, I remember him saying to me, “Mummy I just want to go outside, lie down and have it rain anchovies,” because he just loved anchovies so much. Now my kids are super adventurous eaters, and they are always up for something, which I just love.