Top Kiwi chef to cook at Summer Seafood Festival

My Kitchen Rules judge and award winning chef Robert Oliver is coming to Rotorua. Photo/file

World-renown Kiwi Chef Robert Oliver will bring islands of the Pacific to Rotorua at this year's Summer Seafood Festival.

Oliver has been announced as the main chef for the Te Arawa Fisheries event to be held on the Village Green near the Lakefront on February 3. The festival will be headlined by singer Stan Walker.

Festival manager Larni Hepi said Oliver, who last year opened Auckland's Kai Pasifika Restaurant and is also an award-winning cookbook author, would be doing cooking demonstrations throughout the day.

Rotorua besties and MKR contestants Natasha Whitewood and Hera Waitai and 2010 New Zealand Masterchef winner Brett McGregor will also be dishing up food on the day.

"Food cooked and plated by Robert Oliver will be wine or craft beer matched by New Zealand wine critic Yvonne Lorkin," Hepi said.

Walker is the main drawcard for the Summer Seafood Festival stage and will be supported by Auckland covers band Halo, Rotorua's Feels Soul Good, Stella Maris and Jinan Dodd. DJ
Pete is also part of the entertainment line-up.

"Our food stalls have been confirmed and we have seafood coming from the length and breadth of the country. Whitebait from Haast and mussels from Whakatohea to name a mere two."

He said a celebrity fish-filleting competition would also take place.

Ticket sales have been strong with VIP tickets tickets close to selling out. A crowd of 2500 is expected for the festival that is in its third year.