WelTec cookery students toast the end of the year

MEDIA RELEASE
December 2008

WelTec cookery students toast the end of the year

Each year, the population of Martinborough swells by 10,000 with the Toast Martinborough Festival. Along with the people come some of New Zealand’s best food, wine, music and festivities.

Organisers declare that while the Martinborough wine district is small in size, it is huge in style. The food and wine combinations at Toast Martinborough are seriously good; discovering them is seriously good fun. Fine wine, food and music combine to make a great day out.

All participating vineyards feature a range of new and limited release wines matched with culinary masterpieces from Wellington and the Wairarapa’s best restaurants including Salute, Shed 5 and Ruth Pretty. Alongside them was Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) award-winning students and tutors at Winslow Wines.

“It all went really well” said chief organiser and WelTec Cookery Tutor, Martin Russek. “The students that we brought over had been involved in competitions throughout the year and so they were up to the task. It was great to interact with the students - working alongside and having a good time with them. They all really enjoyed the experience and got a kick out of the large scale environment – cooking in the big tents. A lot of work went on behind the event from the students and the staff but it was a great end to the year.”

On the menu was Wairarapa spring lamb pasties, homemade short pastry filled with vegetables, minted potatoes and succulent lamb, baked until golden. Paired with Winslow Wines 2005 Method Classique Chardonnay or Pinot Noir the food and wine combination kept the crowds coming back for more.

Toast Martinborough marked the end of a successful year for WelTec students and staff alike. As well as bringing home an impressive 16 medals from the National Culinary Fare in Auckland and a further 22 medals and the Wellington Food Show, WelTec’s School of Hospitality and Tourism was recently endorsed as a Centre for Vocational Excellence by an independent panel of industry experts.

ENDS

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