Cooking up a storm at NZ Olive Festival

Cooking up a storm at the inaugural New Zealand Olive Festival

We are pleased to announce Celebrity Chef Rex Morgan has been confirmed to do cooking demo’s at the New Zealand Olive Festival to be held on Saturday 18th September at Sileni Estates in Hawke’s Bay.

Chef Rex comes with a string of accolades to his name. Rex currently is a co-owner and Chef at the famous Boulcott Street Bistro in Wellington’s CBD, and most recently owned and operated the highly acclaimed Citron Restaurant, also in Wellington.

He has won many awards including New Zealand Chef of the Year, Dominion Post Chef of the Year, twice Wellington Felix Award Outstanding Chef and most recently Capital Awards Chef of the Year. Rex is also a Platinum Beef & Lamb Ambassador and a Consultant Chef to Air New Zealand.

Chef Morgan says “Olive Oil is an essential ingredient in cooking, I use it all the time, the flavours are as complex as wine and should be used accordingly, it is a really versatile ingredient that can be used in many ways.”

Another exciting activity to be held as part of the Olive Festival will be the ‘Chef’s Table with Dish Magazine’ sponsored by Dish Magazine and Sileni Estate wines. An area will be created where the public can come in and sit around an informal table to chat with one of our local chef hero’s in the Food Industry. Whilst drinking a gorgeous drop of Sileni Estates wine or an espresso coffee, Victoria Wells, Editor of Dish Magazine will host attendees who can ask those burning questions they always wanted to know about chefs, restaurants, food or ingredients. It will be a first in first served system so people will need to be in early to get a seat!

Andy Glover, Executive Chef from Mission Estate Restaurant will also be showing us how to use Olive Oil in everyday cooking whiles Olive experts will be running workshops on characteristics of Olive Oil and tastings of a variety of Olives.

Jane Libby, General Manager of Food Hawke’s Bay says “there will be something for everyone on the day, we want to encourage people to come early on in the day and stay the day with a selection of activities to choose from or just to sit back and relax and enjoy delicious food by Orton Catering at Sileni Estates and a glass of wine from Sileni Estates.

The NZ Olive Festival will be an integral part of a larger event weekend to be staged in the last weekend of the Blossom Festival this is being announced on July 1st 2010.

ENDS

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