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Alison Holst

Cook, Presenter

Alison Holst (DNZM, CBE, QSM) has been a household face since the early days of New Zealand television, when her debut show, Here’s How: Alison Holst Cooks, was an instant hit. Her mission was to cook for ordinary people, use uncomplicated ingredients and stick to a budget. Rejecting her unliberated image, she aimed to get women out of the kitchen by making cooking simple.

The floor manager would sneak in from left and right and take the dirty dishes, but sometimes they’d take something you hadn’t finished with. You’d have to wing it: ‘I know I had flour somewhere’, and try to keep a straight face. Alison Holst, on 1960s television show Here's How: Alison Holst Cooks