Catherine Smith discovers the culinary delights of Hawkes Bay, soon to be revealed in a 10-day festival.
I was going to proclaim that there aren't many better ways to spend a spring weekend than eating, drinking - and cycling - your away round some top food spots in Hawkes Bay. But actually, it turns out there are. The Bay's food and wine people have saved you the bother of figuring out where to go and what to do by gathering together their best in one clever food festival called, enticingly, F.A.W.C! (Food And Wine Classic). From November 2-11, restaurants, wineries and foodies will host bike rides, oyster fests, hands-on cooking, vertical wine tastings, chef at home events, comedy and more (see sidebar for a selection). The foodie husband and I were very pleased to get an early sample of what is to come.
We would like to think of ourselves as lodge people - after all, there is only one Big Wednesday ticket between us and permanent luxury - but we were humbled by the size of the Black Barn Lodges, sprawled on a farm overlooking the Tukituki River and the eastern slopes of Te Mata Peak. Designed by the stylish Andy Coltart, and part of a mini-empire of smart cottages and baches around the Black Barn vineyard and nearby beaches, the lodges are seriously large houses discreetly clustered on the sloping vineyard. I felt I had to leave a small trail of crumbs when I crossed the house in case I couldn't find my way back to the bedroom. The butler's pantry was the size of our kitchen at home. It got a serious workout on the Saturday night, when Black Barn chef Sarah Coram-O'Kane and maitre d' Jason Pearce presented a taste of the progressive dinner they'll be hosting for F.A.W.C! With five courses and four chefs moving between three lodges and the River Room, paired with Black Barn's pinot gris, chardonnay and syrah, it is a creative approach to dining. They'll also be hosting a Chefs in Homes dinner, the MasterChef series (all three winners) and the one I'd love to go back for, a Comedy Gala Dinner, with Jesse Mulligan and co.
Much as it was deeply tempting to stay put for two days, we were on a mission to taste. We'd started the weekend with dinner at Elephant Hill with a tasting of their syrahs (minus John Hawkesby, who'll be the convivial host in November). Chef Ashley Jones' food is smart - my pepper-crusted venison on cauliflower couscous was clean and surprisingly spring-like - and the wine drinkers around me sounded more than satisfied with winemaker Steven Skinner's award-winning 2009.
Our Saturday to-do list included checking out Mister D's, Prue and David Barton's (of Craggy Range and Vinnies fame) casual eatery in Napier. We made sure to leave room for their famous doughnuts, which you "inject" with custard, jam or chocolate. Wicked. We were virtuous enough to pick up bikes from Takaro Trails in the rapidly gentrifying Ahuriri neighbourhood (useful vintage shops clustered around the old Rothmans art deco factory, the deeply cool Aroha and Friends, which showcases great New Zealand design) and pedal around the Westshore and quays area. I've never thought of Napier as a shopping destination, but between that and the stylish shops around Tennyson St we were able to work up an appetite and, as always, started to figure out how to make a lifestyle switch to living in the Bay.
