The AUT Winter Series is back! Join the fun once again as the school celebrates all things food this August.
Curated by AUT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism in collaboration with Pacific Food Lab Aotearoa, the AUT Culinary Arts and Gastronomy Winter Series programme for 2024 brings together a mix of academia and industry in an eclectic range of events all designed to stimulate discussion, excite the tastebuds, and highlight the potential of food to change our world. The series is open for all to enjoy and held right in the heart of the city on AUT’s city campus.
Battle Royale: Pastry Chef Showdown 2024
9 Aug, 9am - 12pm | WH Building, Level 3 Kitchen | Free
Love MasterChef? Then come watch the real thing as some of New Zealand's leading Pastry Chefs battle for the right to be named Pastry Chef of the Year for 2024. This live culinary competition kicks off at 9am, with the first item presented at 11am and the second item presented before 12pm! Drop in at any time to watch the action.
Poetry of Mead: Mead Workshop & Nordic Art Installation
9 Aug, 3-5pm | WH Building | $50pp
Part art installation, part workshop all mythical and magical, Danish botanical artist Mamakan Oustrup Laureijs invites you to experience Nordic-style food and drink celebrating New Zealand native plants. Drawing deep from her Scandinavian roots and using the native harvest from her forest farm Velskov as a canvas, this hands-on sensory workshop will bring to life the land, season, art, cuisine, and nature. Explore the taste and mythology of the drink they call the ‘nectar of the gods’ and even produce some to take home yourself! Buy tickets here.
Growing Together: Movie Night on Urban Agriculture
9 Aug, 5:50-8pm | WG Building, WG126 | $15/30/45pp (donation tickets)
Live in the city and want access to high quality, locally grown food? Head to AUT for a movie night where you'll learn about the positive impacts of urban community farming.
There is a growing desire worldwide, and especially in Aotearoa, for urban agriculture initiatives – this screening is an opportunity for you to learn all about how these initiatives can better our relationship to food and the people who grow it. Light refreshments made from Kelmarna Garden produce will be served following the screening, and the Kelmarna team will be present to chat further about the important mahi they do for our whānau.
All proceeds go towards Kelmarna Community Farm - a stalwart of Auckland's urban agricultural movement for 40 years. The garden supports a resilient, healthy food chain through regenerative, organic agriculture practices and community outreach. Buy tickets here.
Kai Narratives: Writing New Zealand’s Culinary Tale
12 Aug, 6-8:30pm | WG Building, WG308 Te Iringa Room | $10pp
New Zealand Food writing punches well above its weight on the international food scene with the work of our food writers being much admired. But the world continues to change, and the publishing world faces numerous challenges. So, what does the future hold for New Zealand food writers and publishers - who will tell the story of New Zealand’s food and how will those stories be told?
In collaboration with Cook the Books, join in for what will be a fascinating panel discussion on the future of New Zealand culinary storytelling. This is a must-attend for anyone who loves cookbooks or dreams of being a food writer. Light refreshments and a chance to mix and mingle with the panelists will follow the session. Buy tickets here.
Slow & Savory Auckland Market Day
13 Aug, 10am - 2:30pm | WG Building, Sir Paul Reeves Atrium | Free
To celebrate urban food production, AUT have teamed up with Slow Food Auckland for their inaugural Winter Series market day. Meet the producers, hear their stories, taste their products, and find out how you can get involved.
Pacific Fusion: Sustainable Tastes from New Caledonia
13 Aug, 1:30-2:30pm | WH Building, Room WH415 | $10pp
What will it take to put Pacific food culture front and centre of the culinary world in a way that respects and celebrates its rich vibrancy, history, and diversity?
Part discussion, part tasting demonstration, 100% enlightening and entertaining, this collaborative session with the Pacific Food lab New Caledonia will provide nutrition for body and thought for mind. Enjoy a taste of the Pacific as Chef Gaby Levionnois shares his vision for a united, sustainable Pacific food system – one built on equity, resilience, and respect. Buy tickets here.
Culinary Crossroads: Dominion Road’s Ethnic Gastronomy
13 Aug, 5:30-7:30pm | WH Building, Four Seasons Restaurant | $40pp
In the forty years since the economic reforms of the fourth Labour Government, New Zealand’s social, cultural, and economic change has been nothing short of seismic. Auckland, in particular, has been transformed into one of the world’s most superdiverse cities. One of the most visible expressions of this change is the culturally diverse ethnoscapes seen within the food offered along Auckland’s Dominion Rd.
Join Professor Tracy Berno and Culinary Lecturers John Kelleher and Rob Richardson for this multisensory food experience as they set out to highlight how food can convey a sense of time and place, and importantly, how cultural food diversity can help support inclusivity. Buy tickets here.
All things chocolate: From Bean to Bar
14 Aug, 2024, 1:30-3pm | WH Building, Room WH415 | $15pp
Meet Cacao Ambassador, Oonagh Browne, as she takes you on a tour of all thing's chocolate. Part cocoa whisperer, all master chocolatier, Oonagh has had a love affair with chocolate for over 10 years. Today her focus is on helping promote sustainable and fair cocoa production for growers and communities within the Pacific region. So, whether you are a connoisseur or simply a chocolate enthusiast, come savour the sweetness and deepen your appreciation for the most beloved treat on earth. Buy tickets here.
Vines & Flavors: Old World vs New World Wine Pairing Challenge
14 Aug, 2024, 5:30-7:30pm | WH Building, Four Seasons Restaurant | $50pp
Who does it better - old world or new world? Are traditionalists just yesterday's hipsters, or do these new upstarts need putting in their place? It is time to put them in the ring and find out!
Join in to travel an offbeat journey through vineyards old and new and put old school v new school wines to the food matching test. Led by wine lecturer Mario Basnayake, you will enjoy some fantastic examples of the world's greatest wine varietals and put your tasting to the test as you decide which food and wine match will win each round. Buy tickets here.
Savor & Indulge: Intersection of Food and Pleasure
15 Aug, 3-4:30pm | WH Building, Four Seasons Restaurant | $45pp
Epicureans believe that life should be lived in a way that derives the greatest amount of pleasure possible - and it is hard not to agree! As one of life's two fundamental impulses, humans have always elevated the status of food, to raise it beyond mere nourishment and embrace its connections to art, sex, symbolism, and pleasure.
In this interactive Winter Series event, explore our desire for the culinary satiation of body and mind. Share in some of the food world’s most indulgent and symbolic treats whilst delving into the science and gastrophysics behind our most primal pleasure: eating. Buy tickets here.
Pacific Food Lab Aotearoa Gala Dinner
16 Aug, 6-10pm | WG Building, Sir Paul Reeves Atrium | $85pp
AUT's showcase Winter Series event. Join AUT’s School of Hospitality & Tourism as they partner with Pacific Food Lab - Aotearoa to celebrate the food of the South Pacific. With food created by leading Pacific inspired chefs working alongside our culinary students, and with Pacific themed performances this will be a dinner not to be missed. Net proceeds from the dinner will go towards helping students access food-related research and study opportunities within the Pacific. Buy tickets here.
With a Grain of Salt: Exploring its Flavour and Functionality
12 - 16 Aug, 12-1pm | WH Building, Room WH306 | $15pp
Essential to life on Earth, but also found as far away as Mars, Salt is so ubiquitous that we tend to overlook its importance. Whether as a form of currency, stain remover or explosive, AUT Senior Lecturers Suzanne Bliss and Michael Choi will tell a story of Salt that is both fascinating and enlightening. Each day's session covers a different aspect of salt’s culinary use:
- Monday 12 August – Salt Perseveration & Gin
- Tuesday 13th August – Salt, Sake, and Sauces
- Wednesday 14th August – Salted Caramel and Sherry
- Thursday 15th August – Modified Salts & Margaritas
- Friday 16th August – Dancing peanuts: Beer & Salty Bar Snacks
Along the way you will make and taste something a little salty to enjoy! Buy tickets here.
Gourmet Bazaar: Pacific Flavors Pop-Up
12 - 16 Aug, 10am-2pm | WH Building, Piko2Go Food store
Celebrating local food producers and artisan crafts persons, this pop-up Gastronomy shop will be the place to go to sate all your culinary shopping impulses! Open every day of the Winter Series the shop will be packed with cookbooks, preserves, fresh produce, cheese, charcuterie, and culinary knickknacks.
Patisserie Debut Showcase
Tue, Wed & Thurs throughout August | WH Building, Piko Cafe
Every August, AUT's first-year patisserie students take over Piko Cafe and are let loose to show their stuff! Pies, savouries, cakes, and sweets are all handmade each morning, fresh from the oven to you! Head over for morning tea and a coffee or pick up some treats for home - be sure to go early as things sell out fast!
Part of Restaurant Month 2024.
Terms & Conditions:
Important: strictly R18. Host responsibility limits apply.
Details are correct at the time of publishing – subject to change and availability. Event tickets are strictly limited and may sell out, see heartofthecity.co.nz for up to date information. R18 for the service of alcohol, host responsibility limits apply, access to some events may be age restricted.
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