Hawke’s Bay hosts inaugural New Zealand Olive Festival

The first New Zealand Olive Festival will be held on Saturday, 18 September at Sileni Estates, Hastings. The New Zealand Olive Festival Committee have appointed Food Hawke’s Bay to manage the event.

Geoff Crawford, of Telegraph Hill Olivery, was organiser of the previous regional Hawke’s Bay Olive Festival and is delighted that plans for the NZ festival have come to fruition.

It’s great that it has the go-ahead and, with the support of regional funding agencies, this is now firmly on the Hawke’s Bay event calendar,” he said. This festival is a “must do” for all New Zealand and international foodies, and will no doubt be a great promotional tool for New Zealand olive oil and table olives.”

Celebrity Chef- Rex MorganThe Festival will include children’s activities, olive oil tastings and workshops, cooking demonstrations, olive grower stalls, food and entertainment.

A feature will be educational workshops on the use of olive oil in everyday cooking. Celebrity chef Rex Morgan, of Wellington’s Citron, is one of the chefs involved, demonstrating the difference Extra Virgin Olive Oil makes to a range of dishes.

Adding to the food focus is the ‘Chef’s Table with Dish Magazine’ event, an informaltablewhere the public can sit and chat with local chefs.Over a glass of Sileni Estates wine or an espresso coffee, Dish Editor Victoria Wells will host attendees as they ask the questions they’ve always wanted to know about chefs, restaurants, food or ingredients.

Olive experts will also be running workshops on the characteristics of olive oil and tastings of a variety of olives.

For stall information or general enquiries, contact Vicky Rope on 06 9748931 or Vicky@foodhawkesbay.co.nz

The New Zealand Olive Festival is being held as part of the 2010 Hastings Blossom Festival, which runs from September 10-19. For more details go to www.blossomfestival.co.nz

2010 Olives New Zealand Conference

The 2010 Olives New Zealand Conference will be held on Friday 8 October and Saturday 9 October at Napier. The Conference programme and registration form can be downloaded by clicking on the links below

Conference programme

Conference registration form

2010 Olives New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards

The 2010 Olives New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards will be judged on 28 & 29 September 2010. Entries close at 5:00 pm on Monday 13 September and the oils must be received between Monday 13 September and 1:00pm on Monday 20 September. The results will be announced at the Awards Dinner in Napier on Saturday 9 October.

The Conditions of Entry and the Entry Form can be downloaded by clicking on the links below :

Awards Condtions of Entry

Awards Entry Form