Written by Anjuli Muller

“Cake is medicinal” I’ve often jokingly said, in moments when it felt like a justification for enjoying it was needed. Joking aside, there’s always an element of truth in these comments — cake can demonstrate manaakitanga (showing respect and generosity for others), care, support and solidarity. When accompanying conversations and interactions, cake can help develop social connectedness, and build relationships, especially when a cuppa is included. This can also make it easier to have vulnerable conversations, such as ones about our health experiences. It’s no wonder then that a ‘Cuppa & Cake’ underpins the methods used in my research as part of The Co-production Project.

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