Everything You Need to Know About the Whitianga Oceans Festival

One of New Zealand’s iconic Food and Wine Festivals is back for 2023, the Whitianga Oceans Festival.
Located in one of the Coromandel’s most exquisite locations, the festival makes a return on Saturday the 9th of September. This year’s event will involve all of the iconic elements the previous festival has become well known for, including New Zealand celebrity chefs, live music, delicious food and mouth-watering beverages, all of which have made it one of New Zealand’s most talked about festivals.
Bonnie Hurunui – White Chapel Jak
The celebrity chef line up includes Nici Wickes, a well-known food personality, TV chef and author who just loves to share her cooking knowledge in a fun and practical way. Partnered with the Food Editor of Dish Magazine, Claire Aldous, bringing her love of cooking to the celebrity cooking stage with a variety of styles and cuisines.
Shaun and Alia Branson, 2022 Cook’s on Fire Champions bring a smoky element to the celebrity cooking stage this year. Not only will Shaun and Alia be whipping up a storm on the celebrity cooking stage, but their Black Label Barbecue will also be in the outdoor food section of the festival this year, with a mouth-watering menu.
Nici Wickes – Celebrity Chef
Another exciting Celebrity Chef announcement is coming mid-August – keep your eyes peeled!
White Chapel Jak take the Oceans Festival stage this year, nailing ballads to bangers that span decades of hits and have everyone up and dancing. On the Music stage this year also comes Frisky Business, with decades of performances under their belt, the band will bring an entertaining act to the festival. Along with local Coromandel legend and Oceans Festival crowd favourite The Vegas Brown Band will also be performing for the crowd – live music this year will be a key element of the festival.
The beverage line up at this year’s festival, is a great New Zealand affair, with several New Zealand award winning wineries joining again for another great year. There is also great beer options including Corona, Macs and Blue Fridge Brewery, a local Coromandel Favourite – one not to miss!
The food at this year’s event is definitely the highlight of the festival. With a variety of local, sustainably sourced seafood options available, along with local producers and community groups having a variety of tasty options available, your taste buds are in for a treat.
So, it’s time to grab your mates and make a day of it – the 2023 Whitianga Oceans Festival.
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As the days become shorter, and the nights cooler, the latest issue is perfectly timed to deliver delicious autumn dishes. From recipes using fresh seasonal produce such as feijoas and apples, to spectacular soothing soups and super-quick after-work meals in our Food Fast section, we’ve got you covered. With Easter on the horizon, we feature recipes that will see you through breakfast, lunch and dinner over a leisurely weekend holiday, and whip up chocolatey baking treats sure to please. We round up delicious dinners for two and showcase a hot new Korean cookbook before heading south to Dunedin to check out all that’s new in food and dining.The latest issue of dish is on sale NOW at all good bookstores and supermarkets – don’t miss it!