Wellington on a Plate 2015
As the coolest little capital in the world, Wellington boasts a higher number of food establishments than New York, per capita (everything New Zealand is good at is measured in per capita, like Olympic gold medals). It's no wonder that we're crazy about our food here; the cafe culture is well and truly alive, with Wellington consistently appearing on coffee aficionados' lists. One of the year's highlights for foodies such as myself is Wellington on a Plate. Established by the council's central tourism branch, Positively Wellington, and the regional economic development agency Grow Wellington, this festival showcases the region's food and beverages, and encourages the growth and celebration of the Wellington culinary community.
There are several aspects to WOAP. We have Dine Wellington, where restaurants offer a special Wellington-inspired two or three course menu. Garage Project's Burger Wellington competition seeks to find the ultimate burger and Garage Project beer matching. There are events ranging from pop-up eateries and food perspectives to cooking classes and showcasings. New to this year, we have Capital Cocktail, where Wellington's top mixologists battle it out with their perfect cocktail concoction and tapas match.
My first WOAP experience was in 2012, with my good foodie friend Mel, at the Boulcott Street Bistro. Since then, I've been hooked. I went pretty hard in 2013, and possibly a bit overboard last year, so I have tried to tone it down this year and have been a bit more picky about the restaurants I go to. The menus and ingredients must sound appetising and the restaurant must have a decent reputation; a few of the places last year had good sounding burgers that were very poorly executed.
As is tradition (apparently), I've drawn up a spreadsheet of places I intend to visit, and had my friends fill out what they wanted, then organised everything into a tight schedule. This year, my parents will be joining me on my WOAP adventures, as well as five of my KCC friends from Auckland, so expectations are high! You too can experience the glory of Wellington on a Plate by regularly checking out this blog over the next two weeks. I'll be posting the things I eat, as well as verdicts, stories and pictures as they come.
It's time to plate up!
Posted by Jeremy at 9:37am on Sunday August 16, 2015 :: 0 comments :: 