It started with a cooking competition back in April. It’s ended with something the young people at Altone Youth Centre can hold in their hands, put on a shelf, and cook from for years to come: their very own cookbook.
Last week, Altone Youth Centre officially launched its cookbook. It’s filled with delicious recipes that represent the cultures, families and personal stories of the young people who are a part of our Altone community.
It’s part cookbook, part storybook, and entirely theirs.
“We’ve got a very diverse group of young people, culturally and linguistically diverse,” says Troyden, Youth Worker at Altone Youth Centre. “So for them to be able to express themselves through cooking has been really awesome to see.”
For Troyden and the team at Altone, the cookbook is proof of something they already knew: give young people the space and they’ll drive it themselves.
“This all started even before the cooking competition went off in April,” he says. “There was interest by the young people who were like, let’s do some more cooking. We are always looking for their feedback, and they really drive the space. This is their space.”
The recipes were codesigned with a young person, meaning the flavours, the techniques and the memories behind them all belong to the people who come to Altone.
Troyden has already picked his favourite to try at home. “One of our young people that has attended for a long time, he made a chicken and potato curry, which is something that I’ll be using a lot in my day to day life with the amount of protein in it and good carbs. So I’ll be tucking into that every couple of weeks for sure.”
Emily, one of the Young Chefs behind the book, came to the launch for exactly that reason. “I go to the youth centre regularly, but today I’m mainly here for the book launch,” she says. Her contribution: a recipe for butter braised cabbage and pierogi (Polish dumplings) she learned to make in a cooking class of her own. “It was one of my favourite recipes that we made.”
When asked how she felt about finally getting her own copy of the book, Emily didn’t hold back. “So excited! I’m super stoked to see how it’s all come together and how the production has gone. I have high hopes.”
For Troyden, the cookbook is a snapshot of what makes Altone what it is: a place where young people feel safe enough to bring a piece of themselves to the table, quite literally.
“It’s great down here,” he says, when asked what he’d tell someone thinking about visiting. “Everyone’s 12-18 is welcome. We are all about having a good time, being connected with people in the community and really enjoying yourself.”
This project was made possible thanks to the Department of Communities, through the Youth Week 2026 Grant. Their support meant Altone could turn a group of young people’s love of cooking into a cookbook they can be proud of for years to come.
Thank you also to the City of Swan, for their ongoing partnership and support of Altone Youth Centre and the young people who call it home.
To East Metropolitan Health Service, for collaborating on codesigning recipes, providing nutrition education, and lending a hand at the Young Chefs Big Stories event, thank you for helping make sure every recipe was as nourishing as it was meaningful.
And most importantly, to the young people of Altone: thank you for codesigning these recipes, and for being such a vital part of the culture at Altone Youth Centre. We hope you love this book as much as we loved putting it together with you.
Want to try the chicken and potato curry for yourself, or attempt Emily’s pierogi?
Download your free copy of the Altone Youth Centre Cookbook here.
