The story behind every recipe

Bayleys Plate Up for a Purpose began with a conversation. At a business lunch, Bayleys Canterbury Principal Licensee Pete Whalan heard a retired teacher describe how some children arrived at school without basics as simple as a uniform, shoes, or stationery - and the embarrassment and exclusion that came with it. Pete left determined to help. From that moment, Plate Up was born.

Since 2020, the campaign has raised $776,000 for the Christchurch City Mission's Back to School Programme, helping children start the year with what they need to feel prepared and included.

From gala dinners to your dinner table

Plate Up has taken many forms over the years - gala dinners where Canterbury business leaders swapped the boardroom for the kitchen, and more recently, a Canterbury-wide venue partnership where pubs, cafés and restaurants each created a feature dish for the cause.

Entertaining at Home is the next chapter of that story. Every recipe inside is adapted from a real dish served at a Christchurch restaurant, café, or hospitality venue during Plate Up - brought into your kitchen so the story, and its impact, can carry on long after the last plate is cleared.

Meet Sue Heazlewood

Culinary creator Sue Heazlewood is the hands behind every recipe in this book. With a practical cook's eye and a sensitive sense of flavour, Sue tested, refined and adapted each Christchurch venue dish so it keeps its original character while working reliably in a home kitchen - practical, welcoming, and a genuine joy to cook.

Every copy makes a difference

80% of the proceeds from every $55 copy of Entertaining at Home goes directly to the Christchurch City Mission's Back to School Programme. A receipt confirming your contribution is provided at checkout, so you know exactly where your support has gone.