They Ate - Free Queer Cooking Classes title image

Here at Wellington Pride Festival, we’re constantly working on ways that we can keep our kaupapa going throughout the year - not just for two weeks in March. We want to build close, uplifting queer community all across the city. And what better way to bring people together than with kai?

Working with funding from Lower Hutt City Council, we’re really excited to be able to start offering FREE cooking classes for our rainbow community. Learn some new skills, make some new friends and eat some great food. Win win win, right?

They Ate - Queer Cooking Classes will start out with a trial block of three classes, happening once a fortnight at Te Mako Naenae Community Centre. 

Each session of They Ate can take a maximum of 10 participants, and will run independently from other sessions, so you don’t need to have taken one to join the next. If classes fill up, we’ll wait list people in case positions open. 

The classes will be:

  • Wednesday 11 February, 6.30pm: Bulgogi beef lettuce wraps and basic sauce making

  • Wednesday 25 February, 6.30pm: Mediterranean Chicken with Couscous

  • Wednesday 11 March, 6.30pm: Sweet treat class! Blueberry lemon loaf and Pear Crumble

Your teacher

Initially, the tutor for the class will be Aeisha Ali-Khodja, though we hope to expand with teachers from different culinary backgrounds. 

Aeisha Ali-Khodja (they/them) is a Culinary Artist from Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA. They moved here in 2025 looking to share food and art with Wellington. Their career started off as a baker while getting their certificate in Baking and Pastry, and later went on to study Hotel Restaurant Management at Eastern Michigan University. Throughout school they worked in the Culinary World of Ann Arbor, Michigan which is home to a variety of world cuisines. There was an opportunity to teach cooking classes for a store selling cooking equipment that started their love of teaching. Having a diverse family background and growing up in a melting pot of flavor and culture they learned how to embrace and respect other cultures' food and styles. 

Throughout Aeisha’s career they have also dabbled in Printmaking, Watercolors, and Collage, which gave them the title ‘Culinary Artist’, bringing together two worlds they love and want to share with the world.


A photo of tutor Aeisha Ali-Khodja rolling out pastry in front of a class, reflected in a mirror above them

How to register for a class

Registration forms for each class will be open two weeks before the session. 

You can sign up for the 11 February class here.

Questions and answers

Do I already need to have skills to take the classes?

No! This is a class which will start with the basics. But if you already have some skills, you’ll get to learn new recipes and meet your community.

Who are these classes for?
Anyone in the rainbow community age 14 and over. 

Do I need to provide anything?

Just yourself! Possibly Tupperware if you want to bring any food home.

Can I attend just one of the classes?

If you would like to! There’s no pressure to attend all three classes. In fact, that gives a chance for others to attend too.

Where are these happening?

At the Te Mako Naenae community centre. There is plenty of parking, and public transport nearby. 

What is the accessibility like?

  • Te Mako Naenane Community Centre is wheelchair accessible, with lowered kitchen benches to accommodate wheelchairs in the kitchen. 

  • Seats are available during class if standing for an hour is difficult. 

  • There is natural light in the kitchen, but we will need to use fluorescent overhead lights as well 

  • There are wheelchair accessible bathrooms

  • There are gender neutral bathrooms

I have an idea for a class I’d like to teach! What should I do?

Please get into contract with us! eat@wellingtonpride.com