Waikato Food Show: From ‘barkery’ treats to bakery sweets
Sunday, 12 July 2026
From savouries to sweets, the Waikato Food Show this weekend had plenty to offer people — including a few treats for their furry friends.
Among the rows of stalls at the Claudelands Event Centre was The Barkuterie Box, a “barkery” for dogs that offered a canine twist on staples such as doughnuts and fish and chips.
Co-creator Alyssa Bradly said the show was going well, with the stall capturing the attention of foodies at the two-day event.
“We find that people walk past and they'll say, 'Oh, I've left my dog at home, I better get him a treat too.'”
The 30-year-old and her mother Gretchen Binns are both chefs, and initially began making canine treats as a fundraiser for rescue dogs. However, it grew into a business they have now been running together for four years.
The Hamilton-based business also had its own taste testers — her four-year-old labrador and her mum’s schnauzer.
“Birthdays are our biggest thing, and Christmas is our second biggest.”
The most popular item at the food show were the doggy doughnuts. All the ingredients were safe for dogs, and there was no added sugar.
Fish and chips were also on offer, made with dried baby salmon. The chips were made from their peanut butter cooking mix, this time shaped to look like chips, and the lemon slice was made from turmeric and yoghurt.
The show also featured several bakeries catering to humans, including Katelyn & The Caketin.
Owner Katelyn Van Syp sold a range of colourful creations, all handmade in her own kitchen in Hamilton, which she had registered with the council.
The 28-year-old former chef had been running her business for nearly four years. She had always loved baking and making birthday cakes for her nieces — people kept telling her she should start selling her treats.
They included cinnamon rolls, macarons, cake pops, and cookies decorated to look like a range of things, such as dinosaurs, mermaids, and minions.
“It takes about 5 hours to do a batch of probably 20. It's from scratch and there's time in between, drying between layers and stuff like that.”
She ran stalls at different markets and would love to own a kitchen one day, she said.
Among the crowds at the event on Sunday was Sidelle Svebakk, who had travelled from Tauranga to attend with her daughter and a friend.
So far, the highlight was the morning’s cooking theatre, where they had seen a chef from Pepper & Me cook a Moroccan lamb dish. The pâté and whisky were also among their top picks so far.
It was great to see what was new and be able to support local businesses, Svebakk said.
The show was not only about food, and there were drink options aplenty, including a several stalls selling spirits and other types of alcohol.
A small crowd had gathered around Somm Cellars, which had a range of sake samples to try.
Owner Hiro Kawahara said the beverages were imported from Japan, and included flavours such as white peach, apple, and mandarin.
Originally from Tokyo, he now lived in Auckland, and had travelled to Hamilton for the show. He wanted to give people in New Zealand a true Japanese experience.
The two countries had different climates, he said, with 35-degree summers helping white peaches grow to twice the size in Japan, creating a flavour that New Zealand peaches could not replicate.