It's in the name
"It’s made Wellington city the place to be every August" — Sarah Meikle, Visa Wellington On a Plate
"I first moved to Wellington for high school, then after time away for university I came back to work for Tourism New Zealand. The opportunity to travel with that job influenced me a lot.
My adventures were diverse and I spent every spare moment exploring and eating. When I returned to New Zealand I wondered why we didn’t have what so many other countries have when it comes to celebrating local cuisine — and after landing a job at the then Positively Wellington Tourism I was given the challenge of how to deal with the notoriously quiet month of August for hospitality.
Hospitality is in my DNA. My Grandfather built The James Cook Hotel. My Father built Dockside.
This opportunity for Wellington is really when the penny dropped for me. I knew what we needed — a food festival. One that could showcase the amazing food and beverage of our region.
With so many great restaurants and a great community, we already had a thriving scene, we just needed to motivate people to get out and experience Wellington for themselves.
It was March 31, 2009, while sitting in the boardroom right up on Level 28 of Plimmer Towers, where we first heard the name "Wellington On a Plate." I knew straight away that was it. That was the name. We could all see it coming to life, it was so exciting. And 14 years later it still is.
Wellington On a Plate is so much more than a food festival these days. It’s made Wellington city the place to be every August — connecting people in genuine collaboration.
It's an event that can only happen right here, in the culinary capital."
Food tourism in the culinary capital of NZ
Visa Wellington On a Plate is cooked up for you by the Wellington Culinary Events Trust, and brings together a diverse events programme, delicious burgers, tasty cocktails and dining menus for all appetites.
Only in Wellington
Wellington is full of stories about little moments, in ordinary places that have led to extraordinary successes. Discover some of these stories, and the people behind them.
