Best Food Events of New Zealand You Just Cannot Miss!

New Zealand’s locals have a strong focus on sustainable produce, and their top-notch wines and craft beer makes it a mouth-watering destination for foodies. The best part is it’s easy for a tourist to enjoy these, at a heap of tempting food, wine and beer festivals that offer a chance to sample regional gourmet treats and tasty tipple.

New Zealand’s food festival calendar offers plenty to plan ahead as something or the other is taking place there all year long. Here is our quick tip for the best ways to tempt your taste buds season-wise and enjoy the Best Food Events of NZ.

Autumn (March, April, May)

Being the best time for harvest, the vineyards and orchards and in courtyards all over the country, are laid with feijoa trees. This fruit has a bubblegummy flavour, usually described as pineapple and guavasteen. Down in South Island, it is also the best time to eat oysters.

Great Kiwi Beer Festival

Cheers! Christchurch hosts New Zealand’s hippest hop festival, featuring a range of more than 300 local, vibrant craft beer with suitably beery food and groovy tunes.

(More on greatkiwibeerfestival.co.nz)

Waiheke Vintage Festival

Just a ferry ride away from Auckland to the magnificent Waiheke Island, head for a unique taste of boutique wine and artisan food for two weekends. Enjoy gourmet food & wine and music hosted by a clutch of the island’s boutique wineries.

(More on waihekevintagefestival.co.nz)

Bluff Oyster Festival

Every year when the oysters are at their best, bluff at the southern part of the south island. Although Oyster is the central focus but plenty of other seafood and local specialities including muttonbird, and great southern ales. This festival is one of the country’s most popular food and wine event where live music adds to the flavour. This is exactly why foodies' paradise with the Best Food Events of New Zealand.

Hokitika Wildfoods Festival

If you are an intrepid eater, then this weird and wild fare Hokitika is the perfect for place for you. From beetles, Whitebait, Venison, rocky mountain oysters and the infamous stallion shakes are going to attract you. Go on, have a chocolate-covered grub you really wanted. Over 50 stallholders are a part of this grand fair.

Winter

Wellington woos guests in winter with a bundle of festivals, and while you’re there, you have to check out the windy city cafe scene. Here the coffee connoisseurs can swoon over cold drip. If you’re hanging with the snow-bunnies for the ski season it’s the best time to check out the boutique breweries. Enjoy the winter ales festival that offers a range of enthusiastic brewers.

SOBA Winter Ale Festival

The SOBA Winter Ale is blessed with a diverse range of enthusiastic brewers and craft beer, this festival focuses on the entertainment offered to all the age groups.

Cadbury Chocolate Carnival

This annual carnival delight for chocolate lovers for two weeks includes chocolate tours, chocolate decorations, chocolate paintings and chocolate facials. The two weeks of the events, where the major attraction is Cadbury Jaffa Race. In this, it is a world of the steepest street party with loads of family fun. Imagine a world of Cadbury chocolates, what can be better than that when it comes to Best Food Events of New Zealand.

Wellington on a Plate

Two weeks of one-off a kind events experience the ultimate food festival, a variety of the tastiest food. Discover the best burger in town, capital cocktail and many more.

(For more: wellingtononaplate.com)

Beervana

Every year in August thousands of beer lovers across the world come here for chilling, milling and swilling at Beervana. (beervana.co.nz)

Spring

New Zealand's spring weather can range from cold and chilly to warm and hot. Farmers markets are revitalized with spring greens and soft asparagus. On the west coast of the South Island is the whitebait season. In this season, you can enjoy the whitebait fritters, tiny translucent fish with eggs.

Whitianga Scallop Festival (September)

The glorious coastal region celebrates the new season of scallops and seafood. This popular seafood event provides a range of delicious and delectable dishes. (scallopfestival.co.nz)

Kaikoura Seafeast

'Kai' means food in Maori and 'koura' means crayfish. This Seafeast celebrates taste, sight & sound extravaganza for those who enjoy the goodness of food. A plate of seafood galore − think of crayfish, green-lipped mussels and scallops, just for starters along with local beer and a memorable Kiwi experience. (seafest.co.nz)

Food & Wine Classic Summer

The motto of this festival is ten days of the best wine and gourmet food events around Hawke’s Bay. So if you are planning to attend it, make sure you come hungry. You can’t compare it to other culinary events. Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s oldest wine producing area. They also host a winter event in June. (fawc.co.nz)

Summer

Summer is the time to head to the beach. Enjoy the roadside veggie vans with the fresh nectarines, peaches, sweetcorn and luscious juicy strawberries. The Bay has plenty of spots for the-orchard avocados while down in Otago the cherries are plump, glossy and bursting with flavour. Then later you can enjoy the tastiest 'hokey-pokey' ice cream at the end of the day.

Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration (January)

Queenstown spectacular landscape, excellent tourist culture is also the home of the world’s best Pinot Noir. A celebration of the world premier wine brings people and places that benchmark New Zealand pinot noir.

New Zealand National Cherry Spitting Championships

Cromwell in Central Otago is the fruit basket of New Zealand and it is the perfect place to host an event like this. So, if you think you can play with cherries or spit cherries stone/seed more than 11 metres, So here's your chance. (cromwell.org.nz)

Kawhia Moana, Kawhia Kai, Kawhia Tangata Festival (February)

The small North Island town of Kawhia welcomes you to celebrate Maori food (Kai) and culture. You will get the chance to try traditional hangi (food cooked in a pit heated by hot stones) and a vast selection of seafood dishes. After that, experience the Maori crafts such as flax weaving or wood carving, and kapa haka groups performing traditional songs, chanting and dancing.

Ocean & Orchard Food & Wine Festival

There is a wide range of fabulous food, wine and music. This event held on Kerikeri centre of the Bay of Islands.

Marlborough Wine & Food Festival (February)

Prepare to be WOWed by the dry & sweet taste of Sauvignon Blancs wine for which Marlborough is famous. Marlborough wine festival is the longest ever wine festival held in the world. Festival will get you the chance to experience a unique selection of world-class wines and delicious local cuisines at Marlborough.

New Zealand is known to be the paradise for the nature lovers and if you are a lover of food, enjoy the Best Food Events of New Zealand on your visit to the place. To book your tickets to New Zealand, check out our offers HERE.