Match Report - BetterHalf

Date: Tuesday 24, June 2025

Venue: Riverside Kitchen

Report by: Todd Astle

VIDEO: WATCH here

Photos: View here

Tuesday 24 June at Riverside Kitchen, the ultimate date night turned into the ultimate MasterChef challenge!

The night started with a complimentary drink on arrival, and couples mingled before I welcomed everyone and set the scene for the evening. It was a special date on the calendar for Rachel and me, as it was exactly 20 years to the day that we officially started “going out.” On that occasion, I took the two of us, and also my best mate (shout out to JD), to the movies to watch Batman Begins. So, I thought, 20 years later, why not invite a whole lot of others to celebrate the occasion?

In the week leading up to the night, I had sent out some homework for both partners to complete in readiness for the evening.

Having recently completed a Diploma in Positive Psychology, one of the required exercises for the course was called Reflected Best Self. It involved gathering responses from a number of people with examples of times they had seen us at our best over the years. It was all about celebrating and highlighting the positive emotions from these experiences and stories. It was a truly powerful exercise and one that both Ryan and I got a huge amount out of during our Diploma course.

The homework for the couples, should they have chosen to accept it, was to provide their BetterHalf with two or three stories of when they were at their best in their partner’s eyes. What was the positive contribution in each story? Then, in their own opinion, when had they been at their best in the past, with one or two stories to highlight this? It was all about bringing the joy and sharing positive emotions, and I feel as though everyone in attendance got something out of the exercise. It certainly helped to further enhance relationships.

Following this, our lovely host for the evening, Belinda, ran through what we were to expect for the MasterChef Challenge. Couples were paired up into teams of four and given an entrée to make. They were supplied with instructions but had to use their own interpretation of how the dish was to be cooked and presented. Points were awarded for cleanliness, taste, presentation, and the explanation of each plate.

There was plenty of healthy competition in the room and great banter amongst teams. The food, as it turned out, was sensational! Belinda judged presentation and cleanliness, while head chef Rob had the honour of taste testing. Each person could also vote for their favourite entrée. Finally, each team had to give a spiel about their dish, and this is where some creative flair came into play with hidden talents in storytelling, singing, dancing, and even poetry, including an acronym for FRITTER.

Next, we were put through our paces trying to identify 10 different ingredients from a mix of herbs and spices. This certainly tested people’s culinary knowledge.

Once all the points were tallied from the various categories and challenges, there could only be one winner. Well played to the team of Gemma, Rob, Heather, and Mike!

Hard luck on the wooden spoon, Paul Knight and Mark Barnes…

We then all sat down to an absolutely delicious main meal and dessert served by the Riverside Kitchen team. It was a wonderful way to come together to enjoy good food, great company, and to further strengthen our relationships with the significant others in our lives.

A huge shout out to Rob, Belinda and Lauren from Riverside Kitchen, Sharon from Moffat's Flower Company for the beautiful gerberas, Robbie Fisher from Ghost&Co for capturing the amazing photos and videos, and of course to all of the special couples that were in attendance.

Cheers,

The BetterMan Team (Todd, Ged & Ryan)

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