Harvest Hawke’s Bay: HB food and wine at your fingertips beside the Tukituki River

Harvest Hawke's Bay event organiser Liz Pollock at the Tukituki River site. Photo / Paul Taylor

Picture this - you are in the country on the edge of the Tukituki River, surrounded by wine and food.

Oh, and you are with your friends and family enjoying the fabulous inaugural Harvest Hawke’s Bay.

That can be you on Saturday, November 25, but you will have to be quick as event organiser Liz Pollock says they have already sold more than half of the limited tickets.

“We are so happy with the unique site for this Hawke’s Bay region-wide food and wine festival,” Pollock said.

“It’s a small, bespoke festival limited to 2200 people who get to graze and sip on delicious Hawke’s Bay wine and food from 11am until 5pm.”

She says it’s the region’s first food and wine festival since the cyclone and an opportunity for the 16 wineries and nine restaurants to celebrate and showcase their craft.

The festival is a welcome chance for producers to spend time reconnecting with and thanking their loyal customers, grateful for the support they have offered during what has been a difficult year for many.

“The cyclone left us devastated but not defeated,” business manager at Linden Estate Winery in Esk Valley, Olivia Walding-Karaitiana, said.

“From day one we were determined to rebuild the Linden Estate business. Harvest Hawke’s Bay is an opportunity to share our wines, our story, and our future plans with the public, who have been so supportive and encouraging since the cyclone.”

Pollock said the day will be full of “fabulousness”.

“It’s a chance to celebrate, after all, what’s not to love about a day out with HB food and wine at your fingertips.”

There will be live entertainment and it’s also a chance to see how these amazing businesses have come back from such devasting circumstances.

“Everyone involved is really delighted about the site and excited to have the opportunity to be involved in this inaugural event,” Pollock said.

Pollock has been organising events for 30 years. She moved to Hawke’s Bay three years ago and loves living in the region.

“Why wouldn’t you move to Hawke’s Bay? I love the opportunities the region offers and I’m really excited about Harvest Hawke’s Bay and believe that it fills a gap in our events calendar.

“We have had so much support including from Air New Zealand, Hawke’s Bay Tourism and both the Hastings District and Napier City councils.

“I’m thrilled we are on track to establish a truly region-wide festival that celebrates Hawke’s Bay’s food and wine heroes and is set to become an iconic event for both locals and visitors to look forward to in the years ahead,” Pollock said.

“It’s great that our local producers are embracing the future with such enthusiasm and are excited to be part of this inaugural Harvest Hawke’s Bay event.”

The line-up of wineries includes Black Barn Wines, Maison Noire, Paritua Wines, Crab Farm Winery, Tony Bish Wines, Petane Wines, Oak Estate, Trinity Hill, Sileni, Askerne, Smith & Sheth, Collaboration Wines, Te Mata Estate, Te Awanga, Linden Estate and Craggy Range.

The wineries will be supported by delicious food from Deliciosa, Black Barn Bistro, Valley d’Vine, Black Betty BBQ, Hunger Monger, Cellar 495, Tu Meke Don, Brother and Long Island Deli.

A shuttle service will connect Havelock North, Hastings and Napier to the event. Adjacent to the festival site there is also free parking for self-contained motorhomes and cars. The site is also located just off a cycleway.

Tickets are available from Eventfinda (eventfinda.co.nz) or the Harvest Hawke’s Bay website (harvesthawkesbay.com).