Budding chefs and wild food enthusiasts planning to enter the Local Wild food Challenge next month, can look forward to an impressive array of prizes up for grabs.

The overall challenge winner, judged the best dish on the day, will take home a Weber Charcoal BBQ worth $700. Whakatāne District Council Events Advisor Kim Fort says that’s just a taste of the total prize pool worth over $4,400.

“We’ve got Tūī Garden products, Pak n Save vouchers, a pest trap from NZ Autotraps, worm farms, a handmade knife and much more.”

“The support we’ve received from our sponsors this year has been phenomenal.  We are immensely grateful, especially as it has been a challenging few years for many businesses,” She says. 

Taking place at Wharfside, Port Ōhope on Saturday 25 March, the event centres around a cooking challenge where entrants must prepare a dish with at least one wild ingredient.  Full kitchen facilities are available on the day, or entrants can bring their dish ready to serve to the judges.  Ms Fort says if you love cooking, you’ve got nothing to lose.

“We want to make it easy for anyone to enter. Entries don’t need to include hunted or fished ingredients, it can be as simple as something you’ve picked, grown or pickled, or snatched from your neighbour’s front garden.   

“Or, if you’ve got some venison or whitebait in the freezer, pull it out and create something special.” 

The panel of judges includes, Owen Boynton - host of the Toa Hunter Gatherer TV show, Hughie Blues - chef, international culinary judge and NZ Chefs food ambassador and Tony Edelston - owner of The Comm, Javaman Café & Catering and Jord Espresso.

Judges will be looking at several things - taste, presentation, creativity, the story behind the dish and the chosen wild ingredient.

Previous challenge winner Tracey Anderson from Rangitaki Home Kills says entering the competition was a great experience. 

“The Local Wild Food Challenge inspired me to think creatively to match my passion of hunting to a dish I could present at the event.  I came up with a pork and watercress sausage and this is now one of my best-selling sausages at our butchery.”  

Entry to the Local Wild Food festival is free for all challenge entrants. Alongside the cooking challenge there will be plenty of entertainment, with wild food demonstrations, market stalls, food trucks, craft beer, wine and live music.

Event details are available at whakatane.com/wildfood and the first twenty challenge entries receive a free goody bag.