Nestled in the outskirts of Christchurch is Tangleby Gardens, the charming and picturesque home of Sue Heazlewood, a first-time grandmother with a passion for gardening, cooking, entertaining – and children! For Sue, Tangleby Gardens is the realization of her long held dream of a country home with sufficient land around it to facilitate her love of growing herbs and plants from seedlings, which she achieves now to the tune of 15,000 per year. The large beautiful gardens of the property also afforded the construction of a play house, intended for her grandchild – and those to come - and which became the inspiration for one of her books, Tails of Tangleby, a fun cookbook for kids. 

The 40 recipes contained in this wonderful kids cookbook are intertwined with an imaginative story built around two characters, Montgomery and Marmalade whose stories will captivate the minds of children whilst at the same time encouraging them to take the plunge into the world of cooking. The recipes are all straightforward but vary from requiring no skills at all to those that require just a few skills - and the end results will all be hugely popular, not just for the kids but for the whole family.

Alongside Tails of Tangleby is the adult orientated cookbook, A Table at Tangleby which contains 170 easy to follow recipes, packed with vibrant photographs – all of which were taken at Tangleby Gardens. With a great range of dishes for you to recreate, from classic savory dishes and Sue’s favourites, to delectable desserts and puddings, this is surely one of the best cookbooks available in New Zealand. The passion, effort and commitment that Sue has put into both of these books shines through and ensures that the Tangleby New Zealand cookbooks stand apart from the crowd.

If you love cooking and in particular fantastic home cooking ideas, and you are looking for cookbooks for sale online or searching for a family recipe book online, then A Table at Tangleby will be sure to fit the bill for you. And if you want a fun and educational kids book that is available online throughout New Zealand, you will not be disappointed with Tangleby Tales. 

Getting kids involved in cooking at an early age can lead to a lifetime of pleasure, discovery and achievements and cooking is a skill that always in demand, no matter your age. But to help kids get involved, Tangleby has a Kid’s Club that provides even more inspiration and motivation for children to take the first steps not just in cooking but in crafts and gardening too. With monthly tips and tricks the creativity in your child will have every opportunity to flourish and develop. 

Both of Sue’s amazing recipe books are available online, either in the printed format or at a considerably lesser price, as digital downloads, but whichever way you opt to buy these cookbooks online you can be sure that you will be delighted with them and that they will be a source of inspiration for years.

Sue Heazlewood, the driving force behind Tangleby will tell you that dreams can come true; her own dream of one day owning a countryside cottage with sufficient room to indulge in her favourite pastimes of gardening (especially growing edible plants, vegetables and herbs), cooking and entertaining came to fruition when, the property, now known as Tangleby, became available to purchase.

Located on the northern outskirts of Christchurch in the small township of Ohoka, Tangleby is now the home for Sue and is the inspiration for her collection of recipe books aimed at both young and old, novice and experienced cooks. With simple recipes that are aimed at helping all children develop culinary skills that not only bring confidence and pride in producing food for all the family to eat but will establish great cooking habits that will last a lifetime.

Specifically for children are the two volumes of recipe books for kids, Tails of Tangleby Gardens and Tails of Tangleby 2, which contain plenty of fun recipes for kids and features two loveable characters, the rabbits Marmalade and Montgomery. Children will be enchanted by these characters and will want to engage by practicing the recipes and sampling the end product of their efforts!

However, Sue’s delicious New Zealand recipes are not restricted to children’s volumes, she has also created A Table at Tangleby (Vols. 1 & 2) that contain a plethora of recipes covering everything from simple snacks, baking, and BBQ to dinner party dishes that will be sure to impress your guests, but always utilising easily accessible ingredients with clear and straightforward cooking instructions. In fact, A Table at Tangleby, this superb New Zealand recipe book was awarded first prize in the 29th Gourmand Best in The World Cookbook - Entertainment category!

Additional titles in Sue’s curation include Tangleby Everyday Recipes, an inspiring easy to follow cookbook from New Zealand that will give you great ideas on how to simply elevate the dishes that you already cook for your family and friends at home, and the self-explanatory Tea Party Recipes, which once again is aimed at the younger cooks and features wipeable pages describing 24 fantastic recipes.

Traditionalists may prefer to have physical copies of these books, but should you prefer digital copies and want to access fun cookbooks and family recipe books online, then the two volumes of A Table at Tangleby and both volumes of Tales of Tangleby Gardens are available for download.

When children are introduced to cooking at a young age, it can often develop into a lifetime of love, and for many, cooking brings feelings of achievement and satisfaction that cannot be matched elsewhere. Sue Heazlewood and her Tangleby creations are both educational and inspirational and are designed to captivate the minds of the younger generation whilst also expanding the horizons of the more mature cook; this is probably more than you could expect from any other family cookbook in New Zealand.