On the 13th of June Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty’s inaugural Matariki Challenges begin.   Eighteen eateries from around the two regions have created stellar dishes to delight locals and visitors alike.

Designed to shine a light on the regions culinary scene while celebrating Matariki, the challenge runs for five weeks allowing the public to taste their way around some of the region’s best eateries.

Celebrating local and discovering something new is at the heart of the challenge says event organiser Vicki Ravlich-Horan.  “As New Zealand develops our own unique food, storytelling and provenance are key.  The Matariki Dish Challenge is a wonderful chance for local eateries to start doing this and we are thrilled by the entries in this year’s challenge.”

Ravlich-Horan believes that “with Matariki being an official holiday from 2022 the challenge offers a way for people to learn more about the significance of this time of year and celebrate local at the same time, and what better way to do this than through food!”