Announcing Our Programme - Local Wild Food Festival 2025
Pohutukawa
12:20pm - Wallaby and hare stew with kawakawa dough balls (part one), with Craig Searle, Toi Ohomai
1:30pm - How to ferment with James Broad, Te Pahi Cooking School
2:30pm - Kūmara mash and cured venison, with Paul Patterson, Fishermans Wharf
3:30pm - Oyster Shucking, with Simon from Tio Ōhiwa Oysters
4:30pm: Venison carpaccio on a rewena wafer with Craig Searle, Toi Ohomai
5:30pm - Wallaby and hare stew with kawakawa dough balls (part two), with Craig Searle, Toi Ohomai
Harakeke
12:30pm - Sustainable fishing with Rosemary Sloman, local foodie
1:45pm - Tandoori octopus set on a seaweed salad with horopito yoghurt, with Jonathan Chemis, Toi Ohomai
2:45pm - Black Label Barbeque pork ribs, with Alia and Shaun - winners of Cooks on Fire
3:45pm - Rabbit Confit, with Jonathan Chemis, Toi Ohomai
4:45pm - How to use piko piko, with Sam the Trap Man
Toetoe
2:00pm - Smoked trout, with Sam the Trap Man
3:00pm - Foraged Tawa kernels, with Shay Williamson - Keeping it Wild
4:00pm - Whitebait fritters, with Roz Tocker. local foodie
5:00pm: Kūmara with a Japanese twist with Junko, Kai Rotorua
Smokey Zone
Watch the chefs in action as they prepare tasty dishes with wild game and vegetables.
Shay Williamson, Keeping it Wild - Possum breakdown and slow cooked in a camp oven
Paul Patterson, Fishermans Wharf - Locally hunted game over an open fire
Toby Barkla, Plains Butchery - Venison breakdown and sausage making
Te Rangihakeke, Kai Rotorua - Creative with kūmara
Michael Harris, local foodie - Spit roasting wild pork
Wild Food Cooking Challenge
12:00pm to 3:00pm: Watch chefs in action as they prepare their dishes
3.50pm: Cooking Challenge prizegiving
Mystery Box Team Challenge - Join the challenge!
Prepare a dish with mystery wild ingredients and be in to win! Visit the cooking challenge tent to enter your team.
12:30pm - Round 1: Pak 'n Save mystery box
1:45pm - Round 2: Fresh Market mystery box
3:00pm - Round 3: Tio Ōhiwa mystery box
4:15pm - Round 4: Native Tree mystery box
Live Music
12:30pm - Peanut Slab
2:30pm - Please The Trees
3:50pm - Cooking Challenge prizegiving
4:10pm - Peanut Slab
Relax in the garden bar, meander our food and craft markets and try some exclusive wild food dishes.
Thanks to the following groups for making the Local Wild Food Festival possible
Grant Funders
Grassroots Trust
Bay Trust
Trust Horizon
Whakatāne and Ōhope tourism & events
Tourism Bay of Plenty
Sponsors
Polynesian Spa
Redwoods Treewalk
Pak 'n Save
The Fresh Market
Tio Ōhiwa
Native Tree Farm
Dream Bean Coffee
Moutohorā Island Sanctuary Tours
Mitre 10
Tui Garden
Plains Butchery
Special thanks to Ngati Hokopu, DOC, Ōhope Surf Club, our Judges, partners from Toi Ohomai and North Tec, demonstrators, musicians, community groups and all our volunteers.
