It all started with “a bottle of wine and a chinwag”, and that’s how it finished when “Modern-day Hippies” Neena Truscott and Belinda MacDonald took out the title of My Kitchen Rules NZ 2014 winners last week.
The friends presented a stunning five-course degustation menu and took out the title by just one point, 52 to Aaron and Heather’s 51 points.
But it hasn’t all been a piece of cake, the best friends and cousins-in-law admit, despite their calm and collected appearance on the show.
As well as enduring some nasty public backlash, anxiety, sleepless nights and being away from their daughters – five of the collective six aged under five – the Cambridge pair have had to deal with terrible personal heartache. Belinda’s beloved father, John, passed away only three weeks ago.
“He was in palliative care when we were filming,” says Belinda, through tears.
“He’d been battling cancer for 10 years. He’d try to watch the show and make me out; I don’t think he saw much. But I know he was very, very proud.”
The pair say the show has given them the greatest gift: an amazing friendship.
Despite her grief, Belinda (36) offers a small smile when she thinks of her dad’s last gift – one that’s got her through a chaotic and emotional few months.
“Every time we were put in a hectic situation, all of a sudden I had this perspective,” she says.
“He would swoop in and sit on my shoulder, and say to me, ‘Kia kaha’. He used to say that to me all the time when I was a little girl. He’d just make me think, ‘It’s just a TV show. Sort yourself out, woman, and do your bloody best!’”
Of course, the pair have had each other to lean on as they’ve battled through round after round in Kitchen HQ, and both say the MKR experience has transformed them into each other’s “other half”.
“It’s given us the greatest gift: an amazing friendship,” says Neena (35). “I don’t think I’ve been closer to anyone in my life. We were close before but now it’s incredible.”
The health-conscious duo first met at a family function almost 10 years ago (Neena’s husband, Chris, is Belinda’s cousin).
Despite a rough start, Belinda (left) and Neena wouldn’t change a moment of their MKR journey.
But it was when Belinda and husband John moved back to Cambridge in 2011 that the pair realised they had a special bond.
“It was the kids that brought us together, I think,” says Belinda, who is mum to Olive (4), Clover (3) and Annabel (2).
“And it was the kids that really started our food journey,” adds Neena, who has Meeka (9) and twins Bodhi and Taya (4).
“Mine have dairy and gluten intolerances. So I studied up on nutrition and now I’m a wellness coach. I know what food suits different bodies and what gets people healthy. And Belinda’s the practical cooking goddess!”
They’ve made their name on the show as foragers, often picking dandelions and other roadside weeds for their dishes. But Belinda reveals that they had to take a step back from this practice quite early on.
“We knew we wouldn’t be able to win with just that. We wanted to stay true to ourselves – trying not to use refined sugar or white flour – but we had to do what we had to do.”
“And that means showing some naughtiness where it counts,” laughs Neena. “We can be decadent, but we just do it differently!”
Calm on the outside, the close friends were quietly contending with heartache and anxiety.
The decision to enter MKR was easy, the pair admit. “It was my idea. I did it because I knew she could win,” says Neena, gesturing at Belinda. “B’s the backbone of the whole operation. I knew I could drive us there, but as far as how well we can cook, it’s all her.”
“I’d always wanted to do something like this, but never had the balls!” adds Belinda. “Without Neena going, ‘Come on, we can do this!’ I never would have considered it.”
An intense public backlash at the beginning of the show did have them questioning that decision, however, with Neena especially struggling to handle some of the nasty comments directed at them after the first round of instant restaurants.
“We said a lot of stuff, so we have to take ownership of it,” Neena shrugs. “But they only showed us being really picky. Then some of the contestants started buying into it, like our ‘Bogan Besties’ June and Steph saying we were nasty pieces of work on Breakfast and Good Morning. We were mates!”
After a few sleepless nights and a lot of anxiety, Neena was able to shake off the criticism, but admits it was a tough lesson.
“It makes you realise how much you want to be liked,” she grins. “I didn’t think I had a massive ego, but clearly I do! If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from this, it’s a thicker skin.”
“The people who know you, love you. The ones that don’t – judge away!” adds Belinda.
But they insist they wouldn’t change anything about the show. In fact, it’s been one of the best experiences of their lives.
“We’ve loved every minute,” Neena says. “We’ve worked bloody hard. We sacrificed time with our families and put an incredible strain on our husbands. But that meant we were that much more determined to make it worth it. And it has been worth it.”
