WHAT'S FRESH?
Read the latest from the Festival team
Chinese Lunar New Year - What to eat in the Year of the Rat (not rat)
JoAnne
恭禧發財! Gong Hey Fat Choy, Wellington! This Chinese Lunar New Year takes place on 25 January, and in 2020 we are heralding the Year of the Rat. Here's what to eat to lock in your health, wealth and prosperity...
Lower Hutt’s Cool As Drinks Challenge
JoAnne
Lower Hutt hosts the Cool As, Summer Refresher Challenge - a cold drink challenge, where local eateries create cool as bevvies - from shakes, juices, slushies and fizzies - to keep locals and visitors refreshed and quenched.
Lashings brings summer to Welly with loaded ice creams
JoAnne
If it doesn’t feel quite like summer in Wellington just yet - hold tight. Lashings on Eva Street has just flicked the summer switch in time for Wellington Anniversary Weekend with its loaded ice cream cones and sundaes! With the arrival …
Round two: Christmas Leftovers with Welly Chefs
JoAnne
Four busy Wellington chefs took time out of their hectic Christmas season to chat about their plans Christmas leftovers, how to reduce food waste, and what they’ll be doing over the holidays, when they finally get a chance to pop their feet up after a very busy 2019.
Wellington cleans up at Cuisine Good Food Awards
JoAnne Carr
There’s no other way to put it, so we’ll just say it outright with a not-so-subtle lack of humility and big side helping of civic pride - Wellington cleaned up at the Cuisine Good Food Awards.
JoAnne
Diwali 2019 fell on October 27, but Wellington is celebrating the festival of lights on 24 November with dancing, festivities, fireworks and food at the TSB Arena from 1.30 pm. It’s a five day festival, symbolising the spiritual "victory of light over…
Visa WOAP's Rugby World Cup Semi-Final Food Picks
JoAnne
Rep your Rugby World Cup team this semi-final weekend by enjoying its national cuisine! Take your pick from Wellington’s best Welsh, English, South African and Kiwi kai - and why not some Japanese? (Since they’ve been such awesome hosts, and the Japanese rugby team has been nothing but an absolute joy to watch.) The Visa Wellington On a Plate crew makes its semi-final picks for Rugby World Cup food spots this weekend...
Tom @LoveWelly
And just like that, a whole month of Visa WOAP has suddenly come to an end...
The Visa WOAP Team Festival Highlights - Looking back on a month of feasting
The Team
Well, we’ve made it. We’re almost at the end of the very first ever FULL MONTH of Visa Wellington On a Plate. (Are you full yet?!)
Tom @LoveWelly
This year, Visa WOAP’s Burger Welly presented by Garage Project features more burgers than ever before – in fact, more than double the total in 2017...
Tom @LoveWelly
We’re two weeks into Visa WOAP and I’m feeling so grateful that the festival now lasts a month. In previous years, that would have been all folks – done, finito, bar the voting. But here we are 2019, only finished with Beervana and Dine Welly (announcing our favourites below), and still staring down a number of great events, cocktails and – of course – burgers! So far, this year has been all about pacing oneself and picking quality over quantity.
WEEK ONE: A FEAST FOR THE SENSES
Tom @LoveWelly
Wellington foodies, it’s that time again! There was once a period when the thought of chilly, boring old August was enough to plan a trip to the Northern Hemisphere. Enter Visa Wellington On a Plate, and now August is a time for socialising, stretchy pants, serious food FOMO, and some of the most exciting food and beverages of the year.
Cocktails and mocktails and tapas, oh my!
JoAnne
It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere in Wellington said someone, somewhere, probably. And it’s definitely 5 o’ clock for the full month of August with Cocktail Wellington. Put your feet up with a cocktail from the Cocktail Wellington line up - there’s more than a hundred to choose from - and it’s for everyone! Read on....
JoAnne
Check out these off piste Visa Wellington On a Plate selections that will boggle your tastebuds with the unpredictable, entertaining, sometimes challenging, but always delicious.
Garage Project: The Art of Beer exhibition
Pete Gillespie
Life is always busy, but it’s good sometimes to pause for a moment and take stock of the things you’ve done. The Art of Beer started as a means of showcasing some of the wonderful art and talented artists Garage Project has worked with over the years.
ExtraVEGANza! Meat-free Visa WOAP
JoAnne
Who says vegetarians and vegans can’t have fun? Not Visa Wellington On a Plate! Grab all your plant-based eating crew and head along to try these decidedly green Visa WOAP Festival events and Dine Wellington Festival Dishes.
Celebrate with Dine Wellington
JoAnne
Dine Wellington is a wonderful way of getting out there and trying what the capital’s best restaurants have on offer, whilst showcasing the Wellington region’s best and freshest produce
Eat Your Way Over The Remutakas
Andy
This week we head over the Remutakas to the vineyards and olive groves of the Wairarapa to check out what's on during Visa WOAP.
Tohu Whenua Single Vineyard wines at Hiakai Hāngī
Visa Wellington On a Plate is proud to partner with local brands, producers and suppliers across our events and at this years’ Hiakai Hāngī, we’re celebrating the release of the new Tohu Whenua Single Vineyard wines.
Eat Good, Feel Good Visa WOAP Festival Events
JoAnne
Let’s face it. Visa Wellington On a Plate can be a bit of indulgent month. So it’s nice to offset with some feel-good social enterprise. There are loads of mindful Visa WOAP events with a focus on charity, sustainability, community, foraging and nature, that’ll not only have you eating good, but feeling good about it too.
JoAnne
We’re taking you up State Highway 2 to show off what’s happening in the Hutt Valley for Visa WOAP.
Beat the cabin fever this August - Visa WOAP for the whole whānau
Andy
Here are seven family-friendly Visa WOAP Festival Events and pop-ups guaranteed to keep the kids happy (and the adults even happier) this August.
JoAnne
VWOAP goes beyond the CBD and Welly ‘burbs, and right into the regions of Wellington - the Hutt, Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa, where you’ll find loads more on offer beyond the city walls.
Stay and Play at these hotels for Visa Wellington On a Plate
Andy
After a day of eating your way around New Zealand's biggest culinary festival, you'll need somewhere to rest your weary head and wake up fresh for the next day of Visa WOAP-ing.
Andy
This year's Cocktail Welly is bigger than ever with 90 delicious liquidy concoctions being shaken and stirred across the region for this year’s Visa Wellington On a Plate. #CocktailWelly runs from the very start to the very end of the Festival (1-31 …
14 Unmissable Chef Collabs at Visa WOAP 2019
JoAnne
The Chef Collaboration Series presented by Singapore Airlines is something for foodies to get very, very excited about for this year’s Visa Wellington On a Plate. For the first time, we welcome more than 20 celebrated international chefs from all over the …
Top 10 VWOAP 2019 Highlights you absolutely need to know about
Ah, Wellington. Cast your mind back to August 11 years ago... The city could be described as dead. DEAD. Restaurants closed for the winter, the odd tumbleweed was flung down Taranaki St at 140km hour gusting winds and everyone left for Fiji. Now in …
It’s happening!! Visa Wellington On a Plate launches TODAY - our website is now live, programmes guides are out in the wild, so you can start planning to eat your way around the Culinary Capital this August. Visa Welly On a Plate changes and grows …
Celebrating Wellington Women in Hospo on International Women's Day
JoAnne
Today, we celebrate some of Wellington’s most talented women in the industry for International Women’s Day (8 March). We spoke to five talented women in hospitality about everything from what makes our food and talent stand out from all the others, …
JoAnne
Sunshine! (Fingers crossed). Awesome music! And, of course, FOOD. It's Coastella - and whilst the Coastella crew has you sorted for best beats, the Visa Wellington On a Plate team has you sorted with the best eats.
Sweet as spots for Valentine’s Day in Wellington
JoAnne
Valentine’s Day. It can be sweet. Or sickly sweet, depending on your relationship status. But here at Wellington On a Plate, we feel Valentine’s Day is a day to show love in all its shapes and forms - platonic, familial or romantic. If anything, it’s really just an excuse to indulge your sweet tooth.
Wellington's luckiest dishes for Chinese New Year
JoAnne
The Chinese Lunar New Year kicks off on 5 February and at Visa Welly On a Plate, we’re always looking for excuses to celebrate with food, so we’re all over the Year of the Pig. We'll point you in the direction of Wellington's luckiest dishes to ring in the Chinese New Year.
Melissa
In this second part of our series on Cuisine Good Food Award winners, I talk with Tom and Kate Hutchison from Capitol Dining Room & Bar for a wide-ranging conversation set against the backdrop of a buzzing restaurant preparing for mid-week lunch …
Melissa
It's no secret that Wellington is the culinary capital of New Zealand, from Island Bay to Otaki and across to Mount Bruce, casual cheap eats to high end treats and everything in between. And this year the Cuisine Good Food Awards shone brightly on …
Visa WOAP Festival Team
What you've all been waiting for! Announcing the top 5 Burgers, Cocktails and Festival Dishes for 2018.
That's a wrap for Visa WOAP 2018
Chris
No matter how much you get to eat and drink your way around Wellington during Visa WOAP there always that little bit of FOMO when you see what other people have had. My biggest regret is not getting my hands on one of Wilson Barbecue’s Insta-famous …
Paying homage to Paul Bocuse, a Le Cordon Bleu event
Visa WOAP Festival Team
Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand Chef Francis Motta creates a seven-course menu as a tribute to Paul Bocuse's life and culinary career. We recently sat down with Chef Francis to talk about the inspiration behind this event. Chef Francis Who was Paul Bocuse…
Day 11 : What I’m eating and drinking
Chris
Over half way through the Welly On a Plate festival and I'm doing my best to make my way around Wellington and keep my tally of all the deliciousness up. It’s a tough job but it has to be done. There's a real buzz around…
Day 8: What we're eating and drinking
Visa WOAP Festival Team
So much goodness.. and we're only 8 days in! The cruel irony of working on a busy and delicious food festival is we don't always get out to try everything we'd like to. So we've enlisted the help of friends and experts to help round up what's been enjoyed…
Day 4: What I'm Eating and Drinking
Chris
Every few days our bloggers update you with reviews, tips and highlights of what they're eating, drinking and looking forward to at this years' festival.
Double Trouble: 2 minutes with Mark and Rupert from Hot Sauce
Chris
Chris meets the chef gunning for a third Best Burger title in a row
10 cheap VWOAP offers for those low on dough
Chris
Cheap eats and offers that’ll keep you, your bank balance and stomach happy.
7 ways to go carnivore crazy during VWOAP
Chris
A run-down of some of this year's finger-lickin', lip-smackin' meat feasts.
6 meat-less reasons to meet with meat-free mates this VWOAP
Chris
Chris outlines some of the top herbivorous happenings during the Festival
15 reasons to road trip this Visa Welly On a Plate
Chris and Jenna
Bus out to the ‘burbs, drive over the Remutakas, or cruise up the coast for a VWOAP feast to remember.
2 minutes with Justin, the mixologist behind the sparkly cocktails
Guest
Justin McKenzie is the brains behind some of Welly's top cocktail bars and master of indulgent cocktails.
Guest
Who's Ron Finley? Meet this Gangsta Gardener whose bringing his motto 'plant some sh*t' to Visa WOAP 2018
AM to PM: how to VWOAP all day
Chris
Chris outlines a perfect day of eating and drinking from AM to PM
Extra tickets to sold out events
Guest
These sold out events have put on extra sessions/dates, on sale Fri 13 July, 12pm.
2 minutes with Amy, the chef behind the green plate of salmon
Guest
Amy Gillies spends her day tucked away in the kitchen at Salty Pidgin, taking the Brooklyn (and Wellington) world by storm, one stylish plate of food at a time.
2 minutes with Mike, baker extraordinaire behind the berry tarts
Guest
Mike Kloeg is the brains behind The Clareville Bakery over in the Wairarapa. We chat all things baked and delicious.
2 minutes with Shaun, the man behind the Burger Cake
Guest
We sit down with Shaun Clouston of Bellamy's, Grill Meats Beer and Logan Brown to talk burgers, breakfast in bed and bacon.
12 delicious burger, cocktail and dine previews
Beth & Chris
We do the hard yards and feast on a dish, burger or cocktail from 12 eateries to give you a peek at what's in-store for 2018.
10 of the best chefs coming to Wellington
Chris
Chris breaks down the ten once-in-a-lifetime events bringing together the best culinary talent from NZ and around the world.
8 ways to relive your childhood at Visa WOAP 2018
Chris
Visa WOAP events and happenings that are guaranteed to please your inner child – or perhaps some actual children in your life.
Beth
Festival blogger Beth outlines how to Visa WOAP 2018 for hungry newbies: from how to prepare pre-festival to making the most during, you'll come to know Visa WOAP inside out.
Your helpful Visa WOAP weekend planner
Beth
Visa WOAP is neatly divided into 3 weekends, and we've devised 3 different itineraries, right down to where to stay if your visiting (or stay-cationing it).
10 things to experience at our Birthday Party
Chris
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or need an excuse to visit Wellington, here's a starter for ten of what VWOAP is dishing up to get you in the celebratory mood to eat, drink and be Welly
All the winners of the 2017 Felix Awards - Wellington's hospo awards voted by the industry, for the industry.
Hot sauce cranks up the heat in Wellington
Guest Blogger: QT's Chris Lee
The new bar on the street, Hot Sauce approaches Asian street food with a contemporary twist, complemented by adventurous cocktails
The winning burger, cocktail and Festival Dish
Chris & Georgia
Bloggers Chris and Georgia report from the Festival Awards evening.
Drumroll please! Announcing the top 5 burgers, cocktails and Festival Dishes, as determined by you...
Day 13: What I’m Eating and Drinking
Chris
Every few days our bloggers will update you with reviews, tips and highlights of what they're eating, drinking and looking forward to.
Day 11: What We’re Eating and Drinking
Georgia and Chris
Every few days our bloggers will update you with reviews, tips and highlights of what they're eating, drinking and looking forward to.
Day 8: What I'm Eating & Drinking
Georgia
Every few days our bloggers will update you with reviews, tips and highlights of what they're eating, drinking and looking forward to.
Day 4: What I'm Eating and Drinking
Chris
Every few days our bloggers will update you with reviews, tips and highlights of what they're eating, drinking and looking forward to.
Chris
From French onion soup with Marmite to the humble Kiwi pie, Chris finds out what Laurent from Hippopotamus is serving up this Visa WOAP.
Georgia
Not feeling flushed with cash? Georgia has put together a guide for doing the festival on the cheap.
Burger Wellington 2017 - the Burger & Beer challenge
Pete from Garage Project
It’s almost that time of year again, a chance for those of you with the necessary cast iron constitution to immerse yourselves in the world of Burger Wellington. With 123 burgers on offer this year it’s an almost Herculean task to eat your way through them…
Spotlight on Muse Eatery & Bar's Samuel North
Catherine
Catherine chats to Samuel North from Muse Eatery & Bar who know a thing or two about cooking the perfect steak - and are willing to share.
Spotlight on Zibibbo's Adam Newell
Georgia
Georgia yarns with Zibibbo's Adam Newell about raising pigs, cooking with truffles and burger taste-testing.
A vegetarian's guide to Visa WOAP
Georgia
Georgia goes meat-free with a vegetarian's guide to the festival.
Chris
Chris takes a world tour through this year's festival events and menu lineups.
Georgia
Georgia goes beyond the CBD to explore the Wellington region and suburbs' best kai.
Extra tickets to sold out events
Chris
It’s not often you get a second chance, so when it comes, grab it with both hands. These sold out events have put on extra sessions/dates, on sale 12pm, Thursday 13 July.
Georgia
Taking the idea of VWOAP events, menus, burgers and cocktails to a new level.
Five VWOAP events to surprise you
Chris
From a beach party to a road trip, these food-filled events are bound to surprise, delight and inspire.
Georgia
If you missed out on tickets to some speedy-selling events, Georgia has some solutions.
Chris & Georgia
Chris and Georgia get excited about the Chef Collaboration Series featuring international chefs.
Chris
What is Kiwi food culture? Blogger Chris explores New Zealand cuisine as brought to life throughout this year's programme.
Plan your Welly On a Plate weekends
Georgia
Blogger Georgia helps visitors plan the most delicious Welly On a Plate weekends.
Georgia
Feeling overwhelmed by Visa WOAP? Blogger Georgia lays out this year's festival to help out hungry newbies.
12 ridiculous food experiences at Visa WOAP
Georgia
Visa Wellington On a Plate blogger Georgia explores 12 of the most outrageous culinary experiences in the 2017 programme.
Chris
From hāngi, pints, pies to Yum Cha and miniature food - here's what Chris has picked as highlights for this year.
Georgia
Georgia goes behind-the-scenes of Visa Wellington On a Plate's most popular event and how you can enter the ballot to buy tickets
Georgia
Here’s a few top line figures that are a little more saucy than your average food festival stats
This year we welcome Husk as a new restaurant to the Visa WOAP family with a delicious Dine Wellington set menu and, for the first time ever, we’re crowd sourcing their Garage Project Burger Wellington via our Facebook page. That’s right, you, the punter …
Three Wellington products you should be eating
Welcome back to the Visa WOAP blog! This year joining our usual blogger Chris is the beer lovin', cheese eatin' lass, Georgia. Having worked on the Festival in the past, she knows the ins and outs to bring you even more behind the scenes action. Her first …
You all know and love the Burger Wellington competition (much love to Garage Project for making this happen). You know, that one that runs throughout the Festival and you can score every single burger (and beer) you demolish out of 10 to determine the top 5? …
Chris
My final week of Visa Wellington On a Plate did not go as planned. With all my careful planning and mapping of the best routes between eateries, I never once expected that I’d be hospitalised for two nights for a smorgasbord of tests and procedures…
Chris
If Visa Wellington on a Plate has taught me anything, it’s that burgers are serious business in Wellington. In this city, we don’t want none unless you’ve got buns, hun. Every year, we anxiously await the announcement of the Burger Wellington …
Chris
There’s less than a week left of Visa Wellington On a Plate, so it’s munch and crunch time. Which burgers and cocktails do you really, really want to fit in before Sunday? Are there any events you’ve been putting off? With so much still to happen, …
Chris
Getting out and about during Visa Wellington On a Plate doesn’t mean you have to throw cash around like you’re in a hip-hop music video. There are plenty of low-cost options that’ll let you stretch your VWOAP budget a little further. When it comes to …
Chris
Visa Wellington On a Plate festival blogger Chris checks out what some recently-opened restaurants are serving in August.
Georgia
Visa Wellington On a Plate festival blogger Georgia gets stuck into craft chocolate with Wellington Chocolate Festival.
Chris
Visa Wellington On a Plate festival blogger Chris learns about the cuisines of Myanmar, Syria, Iran and Egypt thanks to Logan Brown.
And the Festival Dish Award goes to...
Chris
Visa Wellington On a Plate festival blogger Chris dissects the Dine Wellington finalists with chef Liz Egan.
Chris
Visa Wellington On a Plate festival blogger Chris checks out the best of the suburban menus from the 2016 programme.
Chris
Visa Wellington On a Plate blogger Chris talks hops, malt and yeast ahead of Beervana 2017.
Chris
Imagine going out for dinner only to find that the only thing you can eat from the menu are hot chips or a side salad. It’s happened to a vegetarian friend of mine, but they just shrugged it off as one of the complications of dining out as a vegetarian. …