The Local Wild Food Challenge, a culinary adventure founded by Kiwis Bill and Sarah Manson, is coming to Whakatane on January 16.

Currently held in five counties around the world, including France and Italy, the challenges have been running for six years and are designed to showcase the resourcefulness of people living in communities where wild food is available.

Hinauri Mead of Mataatua and Mayor Tony Bonne with the new event's promotional poster.

The Whakatane event, which is being hosted by Ngati Awa at the Mataatua Wharenui, in cooperation with the Whakatane District Council, will feature cooking demonstrations, wild food competitions, and children's programmes, as well as food stalls and entertainment.

Bill says the Challenge is all about connecting communities through food and active living and that Whakatane is a perfect fit for the event.

'We are so happy to have Whakatane become part of our network of communities hosting a Local Wild Food Challenge event, as this area is loaded with beautiful natural resources and incredible ingredients,” he says.

'You have the ocean, forests and farmland, and we really can't wait to see what the Eastern Bay locals come up with on January 16.”

In announcing the event, Enid Ratahi-Pryor, the Chief Executive of Te Runanga o Ngati Awa, and Mayor Tony Bonne both echoed Bill's sentiments, noting that the District was perfectly placed to host the Challenge.

'Mataatua Wharenui will provide a unique setting giving Whakatane something different to add to the global offering of the Local Wild Food Challenges,” says Enid.

Tony is also looking forward to the event.

'I recently attended the Ruatahuna Wild Food Festival and had a fantastic time. Our District is truly blessed with great fishing, great hunting and natural produce and this event will give us a chance to show the rest of the country what we have here and just how good we are at preparing it.”

Competition categories, conditions of entry, local and celebrity judges, and full details of events on the day were to be announced shortly, but Hinauri Mead of Mataatua Wharenui urged anyone thinking of taking part to start preparing now.

'Harvest what's plentiful now and add that to your kete (basket) of ingredients available in January,” she says, 'and it would be great to see inter-generational participation and competition.”