The secret ingredient
Stacey Jones discovers a passionate foodie dedicated to creating authentic Greek experiences.
As UNO’s food writer over the past three years, few experiences have been as memorable or heart-warming as Yiayia’s Little Kitchen. Tucked away down a gravel drive in Matatā, opposite Whale Island, Caterina Murphy’s home opens up a world of Greek-Cypriot flavours and traditions just waiting to be uncovered.
Caterina’s culinary journey took flight last year when she launched a small vegetarian catering business. “I’d worked in education all my life,” she recalls, “but my foodie dream was always simmering away in the background. So I asked for reduced hours at work and went for it.”
The community’s response exceeded her wildest expectations. “People loved the plant-based menus and soon started asking about classes,” she laughs. “That’s when I knew Yiayia’s Little Kitchen was meant to be.”
Food, Caterina explains, is edible history. “I learnt alongside my mother,” she says. “Anyone can hand you a recipe, but what you don’t get is the story – the rituals, the history and the cultural bonds formed in the kitchen.”
On her mum’s side, her family roots trace back to Cyprus, where the cuisine marries Greek traditions with Middle Eastern influences. “Lemons, pomegranates, ground coriander are the flavours that tell the story of our island,” she adds.
She remembers the artichoke season in their garden as a ceremonial affair: each leaf dipped in olive oil and lemon juice, savoured one by one until only the heart remained. Being part of the Flavours Of Plenty Festival with her Big Fat Greek Cypriot Feast in April was the turning point last year. Held at Awaponga Hall, her diners raved not only about the food but also about the stories woven through each dish.
“I married a man who grows fresh vegetables for me,” she jokes. “Watching people discover plant-based Greek food was incredible, and by the end, everyone was begging for more events.”
Looking ahead, Caterina is planning her first cooking classes for the public, including a shakshuka master class – “it works for breakfast, brunch or a light dinner”.
Another favourite will be filo pastry workshops alongside vegetarian Koupes inspired by childhood picnics in the Troodos mountains. Later this year, she’ll host “table of eight” long lunches: a meze feast at her home where no one leaves hungry. If you’re after the next big secret foodie find in the Bay of Plenty, Yiayia’s Little Kitchen is it. And the secret ingredient, as Caterina will tell you, is simple: love.
