Puanga on a Plate

Event date: Monday, 15 June 2026 | 09:00 AM to Sunday, 12 July 2026 | 10:00 PM

Puanga on a Plate is a vibrant food festival celebrating Puanga Matariki with a delicious twist. Local eateries showcase their creativity by crafting dishes that resonate with the Puanga Matariki themes of:

• Remembrance – Honouring those we have lost since the last rising of Matariki. 
• Celebrating the present – Gathering together to give thanks for what we have. 
• Looking to the future – Looking forward to the promise of a new year. 

Come together with whānau and friends to enjoy kai and community at one of the amazing local eateries participating in this year's Puanga on a Plate competition.

Did you know? The different stars in the Matariki cluster have an association to the various domains from where we source our food: 

• Waitī – Tied to freshwater bodies and the food sources within them.
• Waitā – Associated with the ocean and seafood.
• Tupuānuku – Linked to food that grows in the ground.
• Tupuārangi – Linked to food that comes from the air, such as birds and fruits. 

Dishes will be available during Puanga Matariki Festival from Monday 15 June to Sunday 12 July 2026. 

Two esteemed judges have the exciting role of selecting the winner of this year's competition and you also have a voice through the People's Choice Award.

Voting is open from Monday 15 June to Tuesday 7 July 2026. The winners of both awards will be announced on Thursday 9 July 2026, however all the amazing dishes will still be available to try over the Matariki public holiday weekend (until Sunday 12 July 2026). 

Dish registrations closed at 4:00pm on Sunday 26 April 2026.

When