Wellington On a Plate at Master Kong. Photo / Wellington Culinary Events Trust
Wellington On a Plate at Master Kong. Photo / Wellington Culinary Events Trust
The largest food festival in the southern hemisphere, Wellington On a Plate, is launching its 2023 festival programme.
This year’s theme is “breaking the mould”. It’s hoped those dreaming up the culinary delights of the festival will be encouraged to push boundaries and think outside the box.
Wellington On a Plate is being presented in a new format this year and will be split between two months.
Dine Wellington and Cocktail Wellington will be held in May along with other events and pop-ups. Burger Wellington and Beervana will be held in August.
The new format takes into account the growth of the festival and industry feedback that doing everything in the same month had become too busy.
Wellington On a Plate has grown from 35 participants in 2009 to more than 200 last year. It contributes more than $30m to the Wellington economy annually.
This year’s programme launch was held at an event at Te Papa last night. It comes off the back of a bumper weekend of events in Wellington, including Newtown Festival, Wellington Pride Festival, and Wellington Dragon Boat Festival.
The dragon boating pulled a crowd of 10,000 viewers to watch a record-breaking number of more than 2000 competitors on the waterfront.
Wellington mayor Tory Whanau spoke at the Wellington On a Plate launch and said she planned to paint the town red during the festival.
She acknowledged that hospitality operators have faced tough times over the past couple of years.
“But you’ve battled through and got on with the mahi and the work that you do provides a foundation of what makes Wellington so great.”
A Wellington Dine dish from Hippopotamus. Photo / Wellington Culinary Events Trust
Festival director Sarah Meikle said the reopening of international borders meant some of the best culinary talent in the globe will be touching down in Wellington alongside New Zealand’s own top talent.
There will also be several “only in Welly” experiences, Meikle said.
“Including a dinner at the British High Commissioner’s Residence inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia, and a feast to mark the King’s Coronation in Parliament Hall by award-winning chef Joshua Ross with music performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and of course the “Wellington-famous Cheese Scone making class at Pravda”.
One of the new flagship events this year is called Eat your Words.
People will be able to hear from well-known New Zealand authors, new emerging talent in the online space, as well as some of Australia’s leading food and drink travel writers.
The full Visa Wellington On a Plate festival programme is being released at 10am.
