Wanaka Food Adventure Business Launches To Showcase Local Food Producers

A new Wānaka-based business launches this week (March 6) showcasing the local food producers, growers, artisans and farmers in the Central Otago region, by providing immersive culinary adventures for locals and visitors.

Forage & Feast Food Adventures, the brainchild of long-time local, and food aficionado Naomi Lindsay, will shine a light on the local food community, unearthing the people and stories that make-up the Wānaka food scene.

Starting out with half day and full adventures around Wānaka and Hāwea, Forage & Feast is a business with purpose and hopes to educate and inform consumers about the skills, effort and time-honoured practices, that go into producing locally grown, slow food.

“Food has long been a passion of mine and with a background in communications, marketing and tourism it was the natural next step to combine these skills to create Forage and Feast.

There is amazing locally-produced food here in Wānaka, and behind every producer lies a story, this new venture will be all about showcasing this incredible side of our region,” says director Naomi Lindsay.

Guided by Naomi, Forage & Feast’s adventures will take people around Wānaka and Hāwea meeting the farmers, foragers, growers herders, butchers, bakers, apiarists and more to find out more about their food journey. A seasonal wild walk will also highlight the edible foods and medicinal plants growing right under our noses.

Collecting ingredients along the way, a lunch cooked by local cooks and chefs in a unique location, using ingredients collected that day and goods locally grown or made, is the highlight of both adventures, giving guests the chance to share stories over kai and learn more about our local food.

The half day adventure takes in five immersive culinary experiences, while the full day features seven, and there are plenty of tasting throughout the trips, with around 15-18 local products tasted in total.

“As we look at our environment and what we can do to make positive steps towards climate change, sourcing our food as local as possible is part of the solution”, adds Naomi.

At the core of Forage & Feast is community and there are plans to deliver a series of regular food workshops, pop-up dinners that will hero local food and chefs, and events to meet the people behind our food community and connect our foodies.

Guests of Forage & Feast will also be supporting the local community as a percentage of profits from Forage & Feast will be gifted to local community groups including Food For Love and Community Networks, as well as national charity Eat New Zealand, that supports the New Zealand food industry. Forage & Feast will also provide Tiaki Bees beehives to local schools and groups to aid with education and fundraising and support Grow Wānaka and the Hāwea Food Forest with their work.

Forage & Feast will start taking food adventures from Saturday 27 February and will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with mid-week trips available for groups of six or more on request.

Prices are per person and include morning tea, appetizer, lunch with local wine and ample food and drink tastings throughout the trip.

• Half Day Adventure: $269 p/p
• Full Day Adventure: $349 p/p

To enquire visit the website www.forageandfeast.nz

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