Wellington on a Plate: Capital's culinary festival
17 Jun 2010 – Looking for a winter warmer? One of New Zealand’s most popular food festivals, Wellington on a Plate, is back for a second course with mouth-watering culinary offerings to please every palate. Following the success of the inaugural event last year, the 2010 programme has doubled with more than 80 events scheduled. While full details won’t be released until July, organisers are promising a return of favourites from last year, including Devour (a city market feast), Behind-the-scenes in Two Top Kitchens (Floriditas Bakery and Logan Brown Restaurant) and Beervana, a celebration of the art of Kiwi craft brewing.
Wellington on a Plate: 14 - 29 August, 2010
Culinary Tourism
Wellington on a Plate was established by Grow Wellington and Positively Wellington Tourism to showcase the city’s food and beverage sector and develop culinary tourism in the capital. Festival spokesperson Sarah Meikle said the phenomenal success of last year’s event "blew organisers out of the water" and judging by the incredible ideas planned for 2010, this year’s event would be stepping up even further.
Boutique weekend markets are planned to run throughout the festival in Thorndon, a suburb rich with history and also the birthplace of Katherine Mansfield, one of New Zealand’s best-known authors. Stalls will sell a range of local produce, olive oil, wines, brews, sweets, seafood and sauces.
Dine Wellington
Nearly 90 cafes and restaurants throughout the wider Wellington region, including Wairarapa wine country, will be taking part in one of the festival’s classic events, DINE Wellington. Participating eateries will offer lunchtime set menus matching gourmet treats with local wines. Dinner deals and discounts will also be on the menu.
Some of Wellington’s top fine dining restaurants are participating in DINE, including Logan Brown and Bosley’s Yacht Club Restaurant. Steve Logan and Al Brown are the owners of Logan Brown and hosts of NZ television show Hunger for the Wild. The restaurant serves contemporary cuisine using the finest New Zealand ingredients. Award-winning Kiwi chef Martin Bosley owns Bosley’s Yacht Club Restaurant, which serves fresh, local, seasonal food.
Hotels in Wellington
Kiwi brews top the list
Visitors to the festival’s iconic event, Beervana (27 - 28 August), can sample up to 175 different beers from all around New Zealand and Australia. They will also rub shoulders with Kiwi premium craft brewers; learn how to pair beer and food and meet New Zealand’s leading female craft brewer.
Top chefs in New Zealand’s capital will also compete in a beer and food matching challenge using fresh local ingredients and Kiwi craft beer. Beer fanatics will enjoy special tours, in-store product tastings and the ‘round the bars’ competition - where visitors can use a special ‘passport’ to collect beer stamps from participating bars to go in a prize draw.
Eat, play, stay
The Wellington culinary scene is one of the most exciting in New Zealand – with a diverse range of flavours and regional specialties. There are more than 300 cafes, bars and restaurants and the city also boasts a vibrant nightlife with some acclaimed bars. Wellington is also home to Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum and Zelandia, a sanctuary for endangered native birds and other New Zealand wildlife. The city became the capital of New Zealand in 1865 and is the centre of the New Zealand government.
Known as New Zealand’s ‘creative capital’, Wellington has a large number of museums and art galleries, as well as a thriving theatre and film scene. Wellywood, as it is nicknamed, is the home of film director Peter Jackson and also Weta Workshop and Weta Digital.