The Hastings Meatball Festival on Heretaunga St East in 2025.
The Hastings Meatball Festival on Heretaunga St East in 2025.
A festival celebrating one of Hawke’s Bay’s most seasoned and well-rounded heroes is back for a second helping.
The Hastings Meatball Festival returns for its second year on Friday, March 6, with an extended format and celebrity chefs after selling 15,000 meatballs in 2025.
Running from5pm to 8.30pm, the event will feature renowned restaurateurs from around the country and plenty of meaty morsels from top local talent.
Returning for another crack at the One NZ People’s Choice Award after losing out last year to renowned Kiwi chef Peter Gordon is celebrity chef Ben Bayly.
Bayly’s television programme A New Zealand Food Story will also be filming at the festival for its upcoming series.
Ben Bayly at the Hastings Meatball Festival in 2025.
Joining Bayly will be head chef from Auckland’s award-winning Italian restaurant Baduzzi, Michael Dearth, who has a recipe for Italian-style meatballs passed down through generations that he’ll be rolling out for the festival.
The executive chef at Auckland acclaimed eateries, Gilt Brasserie and Onslow, Glen File, will also be rotating meatballs at the festival.
Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum said she’s thrilled to welcome the festival back to the Hastings CBD after last year’s event was named best food, beverage or lifestyle event at the 2025 NZ Event Association Awards.
She said the occasion is a chance for friends and whānau to meet up and enjoy both traditional and modern takes on the Hastings delicacy – including vegetarian, vegan and sweet balls – and vote for their favourites to enter the “Ball of Fame”.
“Hastings District is synonymous with meatballs and it’s fantastic to see visitors and members of our community out in force to taste-test so many of the amazing variations both our guest chefs and local foodies come up with,” she said.
“Hastings is on a roll.”
Organisers also plan to unveil the official “Ball of Fame” before March 6.
To manage what is anticipated to be a popular event, tickets can be purchased now for $10 plus booking fee from Eventfinda or the council website – children under the age of 12 are able to attend free of charge.
The fully whānau-friendly event will feature music, face painting and games, plus meatball merchandise available for purchase.
Schollum is confident that a Hastings entrant will take out this year’s top gong at the festival.
“From prawn balls to chickpea, wagyu to wild game, to our much-loved traditional crumbed beef ball – we have something for every appetite,” she said.
