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Craft beer by Brave Brewing Co is set to join the line-up at Hawke’s Bay’s premier wine and food celebration for the third annual Harvest Hawke’s Bay Wine and Food Festival.
Harvest Hawke’s Bay is a one-day food, wine and music festival, and will be held Saturday, November 22, from11am-5pm, with tickets strictly limited to 2200.
It is the only festival celebrating the wider Hawke’s Bay region’s bountiful wine, food and craft beer offerings.
Event manager of Harvest Hawke’s Bay, Liz Pollock, said the decision to add craft beer came based on feedback over the past two years.
“We’ve listened carefully to the suggestions of our loyal Harvest Festival followers, many of whom have told us they’d love to see premium local craft beer alongside our outstanding wine and food.”
Brave Brewing Co is joining the 2025 Harvest Hawke’s Bay Wine and Food Festival lineup.
She said Brave Brewing Co is an iconic local brand, and their “superb award-winning beers are the perfect addition”.
“We’re simply adding another local success story to the experience. The festival will always be first and foremost about Hawke’s Bay’s wine and food, but we’re thrilled to showcase our vibrant craft beer scene as well.”
Brave Brewing Co founder and head brewer Matt Smith said he’s honoured to be part of the region’s flagship food and wine event.
“To be pouring our product alongside so many of Hawke’s Bay’s great winemakers and chefs is a privilege.
“Our journey as a brewery is one of local passion and dedication, which aligns so well with the other wonderful wine and food stories that come together at this festival.”
The addition of Brave Brewing’s beers adds a new layer of flavour and choice for attendees, with organisers emphasising that it’s another way of celebrating the very best food and beverages Hawke’s Bay has to offer.
Harvest Hawke's Bay Food and Wine festival attracts people from inside and outside the region.
The 18 participating wineries include Ash Ridge, Askerne, Black Barn, Brookfields Vineyards, Chateau Garage, Collaboration Wines, Cuvar Winery, Decibel Wines, Easthope, Maison Noire, Oak Estate, Paritua, Petane, Radburnd Cellars, Smith & Sheth, Te Mata Estate, Trinity Hill and Village Vineyards.
Nine of the region’s outstanding restaurants and eateries will also offer some of their signature dishes, showcasing local ingredients.
They are Black Barn Bistro, Cellar 495, Deliciosa, Long Island Deli, Malo, Mister D’s, Rasoi, Roam Napier and Tu Meke Don.
The festival is known to attract significant numbers of visitors from outside the region and helps to boost the local economy.
Last year, 52% of tickets were purchased by out-of-town guests – a figure organisers expect to match or exceed in 2025.
Tickets for the picnic-style event, held amid a lush olive grove, remain strictly limited to 2200 to preserve the relaxed, intimate atmosphere that has become the hallmark of the festival.
A regional shuttle service is available from Havelock North, Hastings and Napier to transport attendees to and from the event.
Alternatively, festival goers can take advantage of car parking adjacent to the festival site or the designated Festival motorhome park just 2km down the road.
For those who wanted to incorporate some exercise into the day, the site is conveniently located just off one of the many local cycleways.
