Snap up tickets to sumptuous F.A.W.C! before they sell out

Prepare to be transported to a vivid world, where food, wine, styling and live entertainment are intertwined to create an event of a lifetime at this year's Grand Long Lunch.

If there’s a F.A.W.C! Food and Wine Classic event that you have set your heart on attending, don’t delay buying the tickets because you might miss out.

Tickets are in hot demand, with sumptuous events laden with culinary superstars and award-winning winemakers selling out fast.

The festival is now a cornerstone of New Zealand’s foodie calendar and this year’s tickets are being snapped up from as far afield as the United States.

But with everything from the F.A.W.C! Grand Long Lunch – in its magnificent secret location – to intimate dining experiences and summer sundowners, it can be hard to know where to start.

So, here are a few of the fantastic events that you can still nab tickets for.

Hawke’s Bay Origins

Mission Estate, Napier

Friday, March 15

Silver Fern Farms will deliver a premium dining experience at the iconic Mission Estate Winery.

Join Silver Fern Farms and four outstanding chefs from across Aotearoa, as well as Mission Estate’s own Ricky Littleton, for an unforgettable evening shining a light on the very best beef and lamb in Hawke’s Bay, expertly matched to some of Mission Estate’s finest wines.

Guests will be treated to dishes from Greg Piner - Dunedin (Vault 21, No7 Balmac, Marbecks), Chetan Pangam - Wellington (One 80 Degrees at Copthorne Wellington), Logan Coath - Auckland (Mudbrick, Hallertau, Glass Goose), Will Mordido - Auckland (Bocuse D’Or NZ) and Ricky Littleton - Hawke’s Bay (Mission Estate).

Great Wine Capitals: Adelaide Showcase

St Martha’s Cafe, Havelock North

Saturday, March 16

To celebrate Hawke’s Bay’s inclusion in the Great Wine Capital network, F.A.W.C! is showcasing a different member capital each year.

First up, the festival is “travelling” to Adelaide, South Australia. Callum Hann (MasterChef Australia, Lou’s Place in Barossa Valley, Eleven Restaurant in Adelaide) will collaborate with the team at St Martha’s Cafe to bring a taste of Adelaide to Hawke’s Bay.

Callum’s dinner will feature canapes and bubbles, followed by a three-course dinner and South Australian wines to accompany.

Grand Long Lunch

Secret Location

Sunday, March 17

Situated in a picturesque corner of the area promoted as New Zealand’s Food and Wine Country, the 2024 Grand Long Lunch is the exclusive, cornerstone event of F.A.W.C! and not to be missed.

Prepare to be transported to a vivid world where food, wine, styling and live entertainment are intertwined to create an event of a lifetime. Every year, the Grand Long Lunch is completely reinvented, ensuring no two years are the same.

In 2024, the Grand Long Lunch features a five-course meal prepared by some of Australasia’s leading chefs – Hawke’s Bay’s own Casey McDonald (Craggy Range Winery), Plabita Florence (Forest Restaurant, Auckland), Cuisine Magazine’s Chef of the Year Zennon Wiljens (Paris Butter, Auckland), Greg Piner (Marbecks, Dunedin) and Callum Hann (Lou’s Place, Barossa Valley and Eleven Restaurant, Adelaide).

The Late Lunch

The Farm Shop, Wairoa

Saturday, March 23

Take in the panoramic farm-to-ocean views as you enjoy a sumptuous long lunch at Waihua Station.

Begin your day with a glass of champagne, before lunch begins with three separate plated entrees from chef Biki Miura, including a taste of the feature eye fillet that is raised at Waihua Station. Kaimoana from Mahia Peninsula and Holly Pork also feature, before a cumquat gelato with a shot of gin from a Hawke’s Bay Distillery cleanses the palette.

The main from chef Mark Caves comes as a side of beef ribs cooked on an Argentinian spit throughout the day and served alongside select salads. Hohepa cheeses will serve as the final flourish, before all that’s left to do is admire the summer evening and spectacular views.

Tacoteca MasaClass

Balquhidder House, Napier

Sunday, March 24

Auckland’s Tacoteca is sharing their exciting chef Jean Brito with F.A.W.C!ers for a comprehensive “MasaClass” of Mexican cuisine. A follow on their Friday Night Tacoteca Takeover Taco Party, chef Jean and his team will wow guests with an intimate yet thorough masterclass of Mexican cuisine, before guests are invited to be seated for a shared long lunch carefully and thoughtfully prepared by the Tacoteca team.