Visa Wellington On a Plate

Visa Wellington On a Plate (Visa WOAP) is the largest food festival in Aotearoa. It takes over the capital for the entire month of August, every winter. The festival sees hospitality venues across the wider Wellington region offer a feast of culinary delights. Expect everything from immersive experiences, to creative pop-up restaurants, and the hotly-contested Burger Wellington.

A charcoal milk bun with sesame seeds contains a chorizo and beef patty, bacon, hash, fried egg and oozing cheese. Microgreens sit atop with a sprinkling of paprika on a black plate.

The festival reflects the spirit of the capital — artistic, inclusive, and community-driven. It’s a delicious celebration of everything that makes the city special. It brings people together through a delicious combination of storytelling, flavour, and innovation. The festival encourages creative collaboration. It also acts as a testing ground for new concepts. Successful local restaurants like Kisa and Chaat Street thrived after beginning life as festival pop-ups.

Visa WOAP is the perfect match for Wellington’s vibrant, food-loving culture. It also builds on the region’s reputation as New Zealand’s culinary capital. Wellingtonians are passionate about dining out, and the festival taps into that energy by showcasing the creativity of local chefs, venues, and producers. The city’s compact layout makes it easy to explore a variety of culinary experiences.

A donut bun filled with double-smashed patties and crispy bacon with cheese and salted caramel sauce drizzled down the sides sits on an upturned metal cake tin.

Burger Wellington, the hotly-contested annual burger competition is part of Visa Wellington On a Plate.

The festival is run by the Wellington Culinary Events Trust. The not-for-profit organisation is dedicated to supporting the capital’s local hospitality industry. Visa WOAP began in 2009 as a response to the global financial crisis, says Festival Director Beth Brash. The aim was to support Wellington’s hospitality industry through the toughest month of the year.

“What started as a fixed price menu offering featuring 35 venues, has grown to include over 250 venues across the region every year. August has been transformed into the second busiest time for hospitality (second only to the lead up to Christmas). What hasn’t changed is our purpose and kaupapa. We exist to help our local hospitality industry to thrive and to make Wellington a great place to live,” says Beth.

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