Wellington Food Show - the numbers!

Thousands of Wellingtonian’s taste buds were left tantalised after visiting The Wellington Food Show at Westpac Stadium last weekend, where they were able to try an abundance of delicious foods and cuisine from New Zealand and around the world.
 
Over the course of the weekend, the show attracted over 13,000 visitors – with many heading to the Whirlpool Cooking Theatre to attend live demonstrations from celebrity chefs, including Simon Gault, Annabelle White, Ray McVinnie, Kyle Street and Martin Bosley.
 
“One of the most entertaining demonstrations, drawing a lot of crowd laughter, was hosted by Robert Oliver and Cindy of Samoa,” says Rebecca Stewart, Show Director at North Port Events.
 
“Despite news recently being released around how Pacific Islanders are one of the most obese populations in the world, the fascinating and dynamic duo provided valuable insights around how people can improve their diets by eating fresher, healthier and more locally sourced foods.”
 

Photo courtesy of The PR Shop

Other show highlights included the new-look Artisan Village, an area dedicated to foodies looking to try and buy delicious, handmade, small-batch products, and the pop-up street art installation, where people could grab a quick foodie-inspired selfie away from the crowds.
 
“The Street Food Alley was also a massive hit and crowd pleaser,” reports Rebecca.  “Hungry Wellingtonians queued up in their masses to try a variety of street food-inspired dishes from around the world.  In particular, local vendor ‘House of Dumpings’, attracted lots of attention –  selling approximately 6,500 dumplings from their stand over the weekend!”
 
Visitors and exhibitors also dug deep and donated to the show’s chosen charity, Wellington City Mission - by the end of the show, over $3,000 was raised for the charity, as well as a truck load of food, kindly donated by both exhibitors and show visitors.
 

Photo courtesy of The PR Shop

Kelly Henderson from Wellington City Mission, says: “We are overwhelmed by the amount of support provided at The Wellington Food Show. The money raised and food donated helped stock up our Foodbank and Drop-in Centre that helps feed many families and individuals in Greater Wellington who may otherwise miss out.”
 
Rebecca concludes: “The Wellington Food Show is an annual event that we all look forward to – and this year was no exception. With over 13,000 people attending across the weekend, it goes to show just how passionate Wellingtonians are about their food!”