Essence of Tairāwhiti is more than a food festival

It's about who we are, what we are, this is our essence of life. It’s about sharing our own experiences of food gathering, about whānau, community, about culture. Feeding our souls with local goodness and preserving our stories.

The festival includes a large array of local growers, producers and entertainment plus educational masterclasses hosted by local chefs including sustainable food practices, celebrity chefs and local artisan winemakers.

Five of the top chefs in Tairāwhiti will showcase 20 dishes highlighting local flavours, boutique beverage producers will talk you through a range of wines, beer and non-alcoholic drinks produced from our land and a line-up of hunters and gatherers will demonstrate how to source and prepare food from the wild. Local musicians will keep things lively while artists create works in front of your eyes.