Wellington on a Plate Pipi Trail | Murray Lloyd Photography

Wellington on a plate Pipi Trail

Queenie Rikihana and Ruth Pretty welcome guests at Rangiatea Church

Queenie Rikihana explains history of Rangiatea grounds

Andre Baker explains the hammerhead shark design in the kneeler cushions in Rangiatea Church

...and teaches the guests to sing this song

No pipi but there was a John Dory

Elaine Bevan explains weaving at Te Whare Toi in Otaki

...that's me in the foreground

Rewana bread ready to go at Raukawa Marae in Otaki

Pipi fritters

Wellington on a plate Pipi Trail

Wellington on a plate Pipi Trail

Tootsie Iriha's fried bread...with butter and golden syrup, yum

Wellington on a plate Pipi Trail

Queenie Rikihana gives tips about fishing up pipis

Wellington on a plate Pipi Trail

Ruth Pretty looks forward to Tootsie Iriha's famous fried bread

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Tootsie Iriha and Queenie Rikihana

Wellington on a plate Pipi Trail

Wellington on a plate Pipi Trail

Wellington on a plate Pipi Trail

Wellington on a plate Pipi Trail

Aunty Hira flips her very delicate pikelets

Ruth Pretty hands out Rewana bread starter to guests as they leave

Martinborough Olive Harvest Fest | Murray Lloyd Photography

Sign advertising Martinborough Olive Festival

Helen Meehan explains Olivo Oil at Martinborough Hotel

Olivo Oils served at Martinborough Hotel.

Guests dining at Martinborough Hotel as part of olive harvest festival.

Tirohana Estate, Martinborough.

Peter and Ruth Graham from Atutahi at Tirohana Estate.

Lamb Cutlets poached in Tuscan Blend Olive Oil (from Atutahi) with baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, gremolata of hazelnut, mint, lemon and parsley.

Peter Graham talks to guests at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival

Poppies Restaurant, Martinborough, New Zealand.

Margaret and Mike Hanson from Blue Earth Olive Oil, photographed at Poppies Martinborough

A dessert at Poppies Restaurant, Creme Inglesa with Barcelona inspired Trifle .

Jared Gulian with his newly published book Moon over Martinborough.

International Olive Oil Judge Margaret Edwards explains how to taste olive oil.

Guests smelling olive oil at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

Guests tasting olive oil at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

Margaret Edwards helps blend individual oils for the class to take home.

Martinborough Hotel at night.

Night Market at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

Visitors at Night Market at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

The Olivo crew at Martinborough Olive Harvest night market.

Misty landscape at Martinborough.

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Ray Lilley of Whiterock Olives holding fresh olives.

Young girl picking olives in morning sunlight.

Picking olives at White Rock Olives in Martinborough.

Picking olives at White Rock Estate in Martinborough.

Nalini Baruch giving cooking demonstration at Lot 8, Martinborough.

Narlini Baruch giving a cooking demonstration at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival

Orange slices with sea salt and Lot Eight 2013 Aromatic Olice Oil.

Close up photo of hands holding green olives in sun.

Malaysian Night Market at WOAP | Murray Lloyd Photography

Described as the “Jamie Oliver of Malaysian cooking”, Chef Wan was the undoubted star of the inaugural Wellington Malaysia Kitchen Night Market. A household name in Asia , crowds clamoured to hear him speak about and cook traditional Malaysian food. The packed audience included a very excited Lauren King, who was one of the lucky recipients of Chef Wan's demonstration dish Vermicelli Kerabu.

Chef Wan

Customers at the event

Held in one half of the cramped Opera House Lane, the market was the finale of this years Wellington On A Plate. Wan’s excited commentary (see him in action here), broadcast at full volume, contrasted with the slow moving crowds waiting for their fix of Malaysian cuisine.

Malaysia Kitchen Night Market

Working under intense pressure the chefs from Kayu Manis, Rasa, The Long Bar and other Wellington Malaysian restaurants still managed to serve up delicious char grilled satay sticks, curry puffs, rendangs and gorengs ...

Ganesan Duraiswam from Rasa

Rajah Vellasamy from Kayu Manis

Swa Siong from the Long Bar

A happy customer

...the menus however lacked the real diversity I expected of Malaysian street food. This was a probably a reflection on having only a small number of stands to feed the heaving crowds quickly (the event ran for 3 hrs), with easily identified food.

The fundamental aim of Wellington On A Plate is to attract foodie tourists. Air Asia X ‘s arrival to NZ has seen a dramatic increase in Malaysian visitors to NZ (1300 to 5000 monthly in Christchurch) – no doubt coming for the clean green scenery. Likewise, tourism from NZ to Malaysia has increased markedly. I applaud the organisers of the Kitchen Night Market for getting involved with WOAP for the first time, but there is room to put Malaysian street food on a larger stage, with more variety and enthusiastic crowds in the future.

Happy Feet the penguin, at WOAP | Murray Lloyd Photography

Raw meat, furry tails and live insects were on the menu at a recent Ruth Pretty Catering event. In weather more appropriate for emperor penguins, Wellington Zoo was host to the Ruth Pretty Zoo Safari, part of Wellington on a Plate. Perhaps reluctantly swapping the heated floor of Kamala’s, the swish new zoo venue (named after the zoo's last elephant), the visitors were soon being educated about animal diets in the zoo kitchen.

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Possum tails hang out of bucket at Zoo Safari at Wellington on a plate

Ruth Pretty introducing the Zoo Safari as part of Wellington on a plate

Animal food

Young boy looking at zoo food

Goat legs at the Zoo safari

Slabs of horse meat, goat legs - fur and all, and live locusts were all sighted, but most interest centered on chimpanzee food. Paul Horton, the carnivore keeper said “chimps are pretty much like us, they will happily kill a monkey and share it around”, dispelling any thoughts about vegetarian diets. As well as fruit and veges, the chimps are occasionally fed whole chickens, cooked, to avoid salmonella. Bread used to be part of the chimp diet until Jess, a female, took such a liking to it she upsized to become the largest chimp in the tribe – not the normal way of things in the ape world.

Climatic extremes continued on a short tour of the zoo, taking in Happy Feet the emperor penguin, and Sasa and Sean the sun bears. Happy Feet tentatively looked like coming out and diving into the pool (a zoo first), but after dipping a ‘toe’ into the water, turned around, and waddled back inside.

Happy Feet the penguin

In a similar manner the guests made their way back to the warmth of Kamala’s where a South African high tea awaited.

Food prep at the Zoo Safari at Wellington on a plate

The safari themes were continued with the menu including biltong, hertzoggies, and snoek pate and wait, was that…Dr Livingston I presume?

Zoo Safari at Wellington on a plate

Biltong was on the menu

Diners at Ruth Pretty’s Zoo safari

Wild Food Festival Photos | Murray Lloyd Photography

The famous Wild Foods Festival is a shock awaiting anyone used to romantic farmers' markets or sterilised supermarket offerings. On the menu one year you could get a shot of horse semen washed down with Red Bull.  Among the culinary highlights on my last visit were seagulls bottoms, bull's penis sausages (3000 made from 40kgs), worm slammers (rumour had it the worms were sourced from a local graveyard), and live or chocolate coated huhu grubs.

The more restrained dishes on offer included sliced, pickled fern trunks, whitebait in various guises, and Hoki -Tikka from the local Indian curry house.  Wild indeed.

Wild food festival worm food

Festival goers eating wild food

Punga anyone?

Pig ears at the wild food festival

Wild food fetival




Prize winning cupcakes at NZ show | Murray Lloyd Photography

The highlight for me at the Levin A&P show last week was the Home Industry display.  In amongst the Christmas puddings, fruitcakes and scones were two entries for cupcakes. I was told this was only the second year cupcakes had been accepted, perhaps reflecting the slow pace of change away from the city (where all the talk has now switched to macaroons).

Other highlights were the  jams, and vegetable creations.  Outside in the pens was the usual fluttering of ribbons amongst the winning pigs, chickens, sheep and cattle. However  I noticed the prizewinning export lambs were not getting carried away by their win. For those technology buffs - I photographed the A&P show on an old Mamiya C330 Twin Lens Reflex camera using roll film.

Sign advertising home industries at Levin A&P show in New Zealand

Prize winning cupcakes at A&P Show in Levin, New Zealand.

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