New Festival a chance to celebrate Hawke’s Bay Food and Wine after a Challenging Year
With Harvest Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand’s newest food and wine festival, only months away, organisers are humbled by the enthusiasm for the event as the region recovers from Cyclone Gabrielle.
Originally planned for this weekend, the tough decision was made a few weeks ago to reschedule the festival for Saturday November 25 due to the impact of the cyclone on the region.
The new late-spring date has been met with overwhelming support from winery and restaurant partners, the public, and other stakeholders.
Harvest Hawke’s Bay event manager Liz Pollock says every winery and food producer previously signed up for the festival had recommitted to the new date, even though many had been severely impacted by the cyclone.
“It’s been such a challenging time for our fabulous food and wine heroes, and it’s heart-warming that they’ve embraced Harvest Hawke’s Bay as an event to look forward to in the months ahead.”
Festival goers are also enthusiastic, with the majority of those who bought tickets before the cyclone opting to retain them for the new date.
The inaugural event will take place in a spectacular riverside location, nestled beneath Te Mata Peak in the Tukituki Valley. With tickets strictly limited to 2,000, it will be an intimate event for foodies and wine lovers looking for a special way to celebrate the resilience of Food and Wine Country on the last weekend before summer officially arrives in the Bay.
The line-up of wineries for Harvest Hawke’s Bay 2023 includes Black Barn Wines, Maison Noire, Paritua Wines, Crab Farm Winery, Tony Bish Wines, Petane Wines, Oak Estate, Trinity Hill, Sileni, Askerne, Smith & Sheth, Collaboration Wines, Te Mata Estate, Te Awanga, Linden Estate and Craggy Range.
These great wines will be supported by equally fabulous food from Black Barn Bistro, Oak Estate Kitchen, Valley d’Vine, Black Betty BBQ, Hunger Monger, Cellar 495 and Long Island Deli.
Live music, from three outstanding Hawke’s Bay bands, will run throughout the afternoon, and regional shuttle services will connect Havelock North, Hastings and Napier to the event.
Alternatively, festival goers can take advantage of the free self-contained motorhome or car parking adjacent to the festival site. Or for those wanting to incorporate some exercise into the day the site is conveniently located just off one of the many local cycleways!
“It’s been a tough year, but we promise we’ll be putting a big smile on the faces of our festival goers,” says exhibitor Tony Bish.
“The crew at Tony Bish Wines and The Urban Winery can’t wait to bring our delicious Chardonnays to pair with Hunger Monger’s amazing seafood offerings at Harvest Hawke’s Bay in November!”
Sally Duncan, Chair of Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers, says the organisation is excited about the inaugural Festival and the opportunity it provides to showcase the region’s fantastic wine producers.
“We see this event as an amazing way to celebrate and support our wine community and we hope to see you there!”
With tickets limited, organisers are encouraging food and wine lovers to secure their spot at the festival as soon as possible.
“This will be a fabulous event for all sorts of reasons, most importantly however, because it’s a chance to show your support for the wonderful Hawke’s Bay food and wine industries,” says Liz.
“Give yourself, your friends, and our wonderful producers, something to look forward to in November by booking your tickets today.”
Tickets are available from Eventfinda (eventfinda.co.nz) or the Harvest Hawke’s Bay website (harvesthawkesbay.com).
Over the coming months, the organisers of Harvest Hawke’s Bay are committed to putting together a series of initiatives to support the cyclone recovery efforts for the local food and wine industries, along with the festival’s exhibitors. Details of these initiatives will be confirmed soon.
For further information please contact:
LIZ POLLOCK
EVENT MANAGER, HARVEST HAWKE’S BAY 2023
E: liz@harvesthaweksbay.com P: 027 4774717
Or visit: