Horowhenua's food basket on display again with Taste Trail

There was locally-grown asparagus with a crispy coating served with garlic butter doing the rounds at the Taste Trail launch.

The food basket that is Horowhenua will again be on display when a range of food producers open their doors to the public for Taste Trail 2019 next month.

While the region had long been recognised for growing and producing food, the Taste Trail gives consumers a rare opportunity to go behind the farm gate.

The Taste Trail features a behind-the-scenes peek of how local growers and food producers prepare their food, a snapshot into the daily production life of mushroom farmers, wine makers, Danish bread bakers and kombucha brewers.

An official launch for this year's event was held at Te Takere o Kura-hau-pō this week, where Horowhenua Taste Trail chairperson Antony Young said already more than 100 tickets had been sold to the November 23 event since they went on sale midweek.

Young said it was the fourth year of the Taste Trail and the event continued to grow in popularity.

"Our hope is that the more people know about how their food is produced, the more they will value fresh, locally produced food," he said.

New food producers Waikawa Fresh, Ōhau Gourmet Mushrooms, I and G Silver Olive Oil and Soul Sisters Kombucha joined the line-up this year that also includes Turks, Lewis Farms, Bagrie Dairy Farm, The Ultimate Egg, Genoese Pesto, Thoroughbred Foods, Woodhaven Gardens and Ōhau Wines.

There are chefs onsite cooking food and designated happy hours at some venues, while mall sites have baby changing facilities, toilets, parking and wheelchair access.

Ticket holders could make their own way, or there is a trail tour bus available, while there is a long table dinner at Te Takere the night before, starting at 6pm.