Celebrating ten years of Auckland’s best food and drink, Taste of Auckland is turning things up a notch with a move to Auckland’s waterfront. Set against the Waitemata Harbour, New Zealand’s biggest celebration of food and drink will this year take place at Auckland’s Queens Wharf.
Over four days and nights from November 1- 4, the entire wharf including The Cloud, Shed 10 and surrounding outdoor spaces will come alive with restaurant kitchens, bars, an artisanal marketplace, chef demonstrations and fun festival activities.
A sustainable seafood theme will see participating restaurants pay homage to the ocean, with evening concerts set against a beautiful harbour backdrop and the central location allowing for easy access for visitors from far and wide.
The 2018 Taste of Auckland line-up includes (L to R) Kyle Street and Jordan Macdonald (Culprit, Lowbrow), Rebecca Smidt and Dariush Lolaiy (Cazador), Juan Balsani (Baduzzi), Cameron Knox (Xoong) and Ben Bayly (Baduzzi).
Shaping up to be an impressive line-up, big names already confirmed to take part include Sid Sahrawat (Sidart, Cassia), Nick Honeyman (Paris Butter), Nobu Lee (Clooney), Kyle Street and Jordan Macdonald (Culprit, Lowbrow), Sergio Maglione (Farina), Cameron Knox (Xoong, TokTok), Dariush Lolaiy and Rebecca Smidt (Cazador), and Ben Bayly and Juan Balsani (Baduzzi).
Starting in 2009 at Ellerslie Racecourse before shifting to Victoria Park and most recently Western Springs, the annual festival now regularly draws crowds of up to 23,000 with an ever-evolving line-up of top local talent and big international names including previous alumni Rick Stein, Gary Rhodes, Adriano Zumbo and George Calombaris.
“Over the past nine years, Taste of Auckland has hosted a long list of top local and international chefs, producers, winemakers and brewers, and served up a cross section of the best food and drink available in this city to an enthusiastic and faithful audience,” says Festival Director Rob Eliott.
“After years of work behind the scenes, we’re excited to now bring Taste of Auckland presented by Electrolux to the CBD and put on the major harbourside festival that Auckland deserves. The feedback so far has been positive with restaurants, producers and fans all keen to be part of our 10th birthday celebration.”
A food lover’s paradise, attendees at this year’s 10th Taste of Auckland should “arrive hungry and expect to try something new” says Eliott with restaurants, pop-up bars and producers set up all along the wharf and in Shed 10 and The Cloud.
The mouthwatering line-up includes ten top Auckland restaurants who will pay homage to the new waterfront venue with a focus on sustainable seafood.
More than 120 food and drink producers will join in on the festivities with a showcase of the latest flavours and innovative products on offer, from specialty cheeses, to boutique gin distilleries, delicious pates, venison cuts, organic fruit beverages, right through to healthy vegan offerings.
With so much to do, see and sample, guests can take part in demonstrations by leading culinary stars at the ever-popular Electrolux Taste Theatre, intimate cooking experiences in the Electrolux Chefs’ Secrets kitchen, a special Italian celebration of Vespa’s 50th anniversary of the first Primavera created in Italy, and an evening concert series that will bring the wharf alive with music against the setting sun.
Those at special functions and in the VIP areas will enjoy sparkling wine from prestigious Marlborough maker, No. 1 Family Estate. Twenty wineries from all over the country will be participating and a Craft Beer Trail will run through the festival involving breweries like Liberty, Good George and New New New from Dunedin.
Exclusive dining events on the Thursday and Friday will reflect back on the past ten years of culinary achievements in the city with some of the biggest chef names on the Auckland scene set to participate.
With the new CBD location providing much improved access to trains, buses and taxis, organisers Lemongrass Productions are also working with Fullers Ferries to ensure an easy boat ride to and from the festival from the North Shore, Waiheke, Gulf Harbour and Half Moon Bay.
