More than 20 premium Taranaki food and beverage producers are coming together to showcase their products in one place this summer.
The Taste of Taranaki Pop-up in Eltham, the home of New Zealand’s first cheese exports and continued innovation (and more), opens to the public this Friday, featuring foods and beverages from local producers which are available to purchase at the pop-up until the end of January.
The pop-up is a collaboration between Venture Taranaki and South Taranaki District Council. Venture Taranaki chief executive Justine Gilliland says it presents a unique opportunity for both local food producers and shoppers.
"Taranaki is full of producers making delicious products and we have identified the opportunity to showcase this during the peak of summer. The Taste of Taranaki Pop-up will bring a new level of awareness to the strength and diversity the region has in producing food and beverages, among both locals and the influx of visitors we get over the summer months.
"The pop-up celebrates our food and beverage strengths and provides an ideal opportunity to get your Taranaki-made food products or Christmas foodie gifts from one central location."
South Taranaki mayor Phil Nixon says there’s a cumulative benefit in bringing producers together, both for themselves and those in the community.
"People already know Eltham is the home of cheese in New Zealand, but this is about more than that.
"It’s great to have a shop that showcases all sorts of great local foods from all around the region.
"Allowing them to come together and be accessible will hopefully make experiencing the best, locally, even easier."
With fruit and vegetables, baking, honey, chocolate, snacks and more, plus coffee, food trucks and live music on weekends, the pop-up is set to be an exciting new retail addition to South Taranaki over the summer months.
"We encourage everyone to add Eltham to their list of places to visit this summer to support the Pop-Up, along with everything else this great town has to offer," says Justine.
Eltham boasts vintage and retro-shopping, an eclectic art scene, historical buildings, and the gateway to the award-winning Lake Rotokare Scenic Reserve.
"The pop-up is just another reason to plan a day out and about in our amazing region," adds Justine.
"It’s a great initiative to get so many local products in one room and present that to visitors and locals who may be unaware of all the local food products we have here," says NZ Quinoa Company co-owner Hamish Dunlop. "To showcase it in one shop is a really cool idea."
"Eltham is a hip little town where lots of people stop off to have a nosey around," says Mister K co-owner Lisa Ratahi. "I’m stoked to be part of a shop where we can be amongst all the other foodies and make it easy for people to support local."
"It’s amazing to be able to showcase the wonderful things that are created in Taranaki," says Eltham Honey co-owner Sonia Bluett. "There is a wealth of stuff here."
"We’re delighted to be part of this," says Michelle Powell from Munch and Bloom. "The highlight for visitors is that because we grow local, seasonal produce, the selection will vary each week."
"Right now, our strawberries are abundant. As we move into warmer weather we’ll add courgettes, eggplant, capsicums, watermelon, and other summer produce. It’s a wonderful reason to come and see what’s new each week."
The Taste of Taranaki Pop-Up will run from November 12 to January 30, 2022. Usual opening days will be Thursday-Sunday, 9am-4pm, and will include special opening times over the Christmas and New Year period.
Details:
Taste of Taranaki Pop-up
183 High Street Eltham
12 November – 30 January
Open Thursday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm
