Penned as, ‘An annual addition to the Wellington Summer Calendar’, the Wellington Wine & Food & Craft Beer Festival was a pleasant farewell to the short bout of sunshine that Wellington has been blessed with these past few weeks. Usually a weekend long affair, sadly the Wine & Food Festival only ran for the Friday evening session as both Saturday and Sunday’s sessions were cancelled due to horrendous weather. But what an ideal Friday afternoon it was.
With the likes of The Crab Shack, The Bresolin, Foxglove and Boquita as food vendors, the gastronomic choices were endless. Arriving at Waitangi park around 5.30pm, straight away we were drawn to the beverage stands (wine o’clock anybody?). We started off with the new kid on the block Crooked Cider, that launched their Ginger Root flavour at the festival. It was delicious, refreshing and not too sweet. We then took a seat on one of the many outdoor benches, listened to the band play and soaked in what was left of the afternoon sun.
With the weekend forecast looming over us, festival goers appeared to be enjoying the sun while it lasted. The entertainment on offer consisted of three New Zealand bands, Miles Calder & the Rumours, The Fades and The Prenups. They offered the perfect up-beat yet casual tunes. After being snapped by the resident photographer of the event and sipping on our cider, we went in search of the infamous Ray Letoa, bartender at Coco at the Roxy. We heard about the Mocktail Bar Ray had set up and were intrigued to try his award winning ‘Miramar Fizz Pop’. It was fruity, delicious and the perfect Friday afternoon tipple. We finished the evening with a cheap and cheerful $5 pork belly bun from Hillside Kitchen & Cellar and a glass of Rose from Luna Estate. The food was fast, inexpensive and tasty.
We had a fabulous time at the Wine & Food Festival, but we are also aware how many disappointed people were unable to attend due to the weather. Going forward we hope the festival organizers have a Plan B so they are not so reliant on the weather – this is wild Wellington after all!
-Alana Hepburn & Victoria Bostan
Alana Hepburn and Victoria Bostan are the two ladies behind the Instagram account @Capitaleats. Alana is a lover of espresso martinis and writing lists. Victoria loves a Corona and is obsessed with cats and dogs. Together, they share a passion for brunch and Instagram and that is how Capitaleats was born. Follow them here.
