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WOAP opens doors to exclusive dining opportunities

Wednesday, 3 May 2023

These new arrivals at Wellington Zoo may be eyeing you for dinner during ‘Beast of a Feast’.
These new arrivals at Wellington Zoo may be eyeing you for dinner during ‘Beast of a Feast’.

Toasting the King in the halls of power, or chowing down amongst exotic beasts are not opportunities readily available to passionate foodies.

This year’s Visa Wellington on a Plate festival, which starts on Friday and runs until May 21, has hundreds of special culinary experiences on the programme, but a few are about to open the doors to some of the city’s most exclusive of dining locations.

Whether that be the Grand Hall of Parliament, the British High Commissioner’s abode, or the Wellington Zoo, these are certainly dining destinations with a difference.

Visa Wellington on a Plate head of programming Beth Brash said those events exemplified the fact that the festival was “more than just a meal, it’s a culinary adventure”.

“The festival offers a chance to try food you may not have tried before, in places you may not normally get to eat. Every year we are blown away by the creativity of Wellington’s hospitality industry and their continued enthusiasm for trying something out of the box.”

The British High Commissioner’s residence in Homewood Ave will host a Visa Wellington on a Plate event entitled Aslan’s Table.
The British High Commissioner’s residence in Homewood Ave will host a Visa Wellington on a Plate event entitled Aslan’s Table.

Here’s a brief description of some of those extra special WOAP events.

Aslan's Table

The British High Commission has opened up the Commissioner’s residence Homewood “to enter through the wardrobe into a night of culinary adventure inspired by British author C.S Lewis’ novels”.

For four consecutive nights the land of Narnia is being brought to life at Homewood.

‘Eat Like a King’ will be held in the Grand Hall in New Zealand Parliament Buildings.
‘Eat Like a King’ will be held in the Grand Hall in New Zealand Parliament Buildings.

Created by residence chef James Perry, the meal promises to “capture the imagination and excite the taste buds”.

Guests are greeted with a themed cocktail before indulging in a five-course menu created to draw on the memorable moments of Narnia such as Dufflepuds’ mushroom soup and rhubarb Turkish delight cheesecake. Aslan’s Table is on nightly from May 16 – 19, $205 a head

Eat Like a King

Wellington Zoo is hosting a five-course dinner.
Wellington Zoo is hosting a five-course dinner.

A five-course degustation journey at The Grand Hall of Parliament highlighting British formalities through to Kiwi casual, innovatively prepared with interesting wine matches and set to the music of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

“Knights and maidens of the realm are invited to The Grand Hall of New Zealand Parliament for a sumptuous dining experience which will celebrate the coronation of King Charles III, with all the special pomp and ceremony that it deserves.”

Eat Like a King will be held on May 5, $225 per head.

Another Beast Of A Feast

Rex Tremendous has invited people to “Feast like a Beast” at Wellington Zoo.

This is a zookeeper-guided interactive experience and five-course dinner where people can see the chimpanzees, snow leopards and lemurs.

“Eat among the rowdy cackles of the lemurs, the roar of the lions, the night-time hum of the zoo at dusk. Inspired by the wild inhabitants of the zoo, each exotic and tasty course will be paired with a local beverage.”

Prepare yourself for a night of untamed sensory delights created by Capitol's Tom Hutchison and the Rex Tremendous team. On May 7, $240.