Food rescue event back for fifth year

Monday, 4 August 2025

In The Next Gen Cook Off with Everybody Eats, chefs are challenged to create a three-course dinner using rescued ingredients revealed that very morning.

Visa Wellington on a Plate is in the first week of its month-long festival.

Today

The Next Gen Cook Off with Everybody Eats, and proudly supported by The Gas Hub - is back for its fifth year. Each Monday, a different up-and-coming chef will be in action in the LTD. kitchen challenged to create a three-course dinner using rescued ingredients.

The 2025 lineup features Jessie Gibberd from Loretta, Felipe Molina from El Matador, Zane Gupwell from Graze and Lulu Temmuyin from Mr Go’s.

The koha-based/pay-what-you-can model makes top quality kai accessible to all – so come on down and judge for yourself.

Burger Wellington also kicks off today, with 209 specially designed burgers on offer around the Wellington region. Rate your burger for a chance to win a trip to Singapore, thanks to Singapore Airlines.

Coming up

One of the special things about Visa WOAP is the opportunity to visit places that are not normally open to the public. The British High Commissioner’s official residence, Homewood, is one of those places. Head Over Heels in Love at Homewood is an event inspired by famous love stories where every course is a playful celebration and expectations are flipped - all set in the opulent heritage setting of the estate.

Chef of the Day - Jessie Gibberd, Next Gen Cook Off

What does Food is Love (the festival’s theme) mean to me?

To me it means the connections in the kitchen - it's the banter or the deeper conversations during pre-service prep and the being in the trenches together during a busy service that ultimately pull the team together, creating a tight-knit family-like bond. Outside of that, it's cooking together with friends or family, forever teaching and learning from each other. Food is Love is relationships built and debates held across the table where it is the food that has brought us together. It's a friend dropping a chocolate bar or some baking off to you during a tough time. Forever, food has been the genesis of lasting relationships, which ultimately nourish the soul.

What am I looking forward to/what do I love about Wellington?

I'm looking forward to the hospo community supporting each other - taking the time in such a busy couple of months to make a guest appearance, support and attend events. This is a part of hospitality Wellington does excellently - the networking, the relationships, the closeness - is unmatched. PRINT CUT I love the support from those who live in Wellington, or who travel, to try the food, experience the events, all those who come together to see the diverse range of flavours, styles, and passions Wellington hospo have to offer.

For more information on Visa Wellington on a Plate and tickets: visawoap.com