SounNZ good: Local flavours to feature at TUKI festival

SounNZ good: Local flavours to feature at TUKI festival

From chili beers to onion bhajis, the tastes of TUKI will be all about regional goodness.

It’s world food with a lake view, and a soundtrack that is fully home-grown.

The TUKI festival will be hitting the shores of Wanaka’s Glendhu Bay this February, and it has everything you’d expect from a relaunch and re-brand of the legendary Rippon music festival: mountain views, a lakeside location, and a stellar lineup of New Zealand music, including Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Aaradhna, Marlon Williams, The Phoenix Foundation and Mel Parsons.

But this summer, happy eyes and ears will be joined by extra-happy palates, as TUKI serves up a smorgasbord of locally-sourced flavours for hungry festival-goers.

According to festival director Lynne Christie, it’s all about taking it up a notch at this year’s festival, which is run by the not-for-profit group Lake Wanaka SouNZ. “Our audiences love quality in music, food, drink and experience, so we’re raising the bar to see that TUKI celebrates 20 years of festivals in style,” she said.

One thing that will be reflected at TUKI in 2018 is Wanaka’s craft beer boom—according to the experts at beertown.nz, the town last year had the most brewers per capita in New Zealand, with six commercial brewers serving up suds 7500 permanent residents.

The crew from B.Effect will be pouring session beers, including the 443 Wanaka Lager (named for the historic prefix of all the town’s landline numbers: 443), and a couple of Central Otago Ales made with wine yeasts. They’ll also have a special batch of a new dry hopped cider made with their wine yeast, B.Cider. “For all those cider fans, we've heard you calls,” they said.

Meanwhile, Wanaka's newest craft brewery, Rhyme and Reason, will be serving thirst-quenching summer brews made specially for TUKI, while local stalwarts Wanaka Beerworks will be on-hand with a range of hand-crafted, micro brewed beer and dry apple cider.

And New New New Corporation are gearing up to mobilise their mobile fermented beverage unit, delivering freshness and filling your emptiness with a classic NZ pilsner, Pepper Pepper Pepper chilli pilsner, United Colours of New superior pale ale, a Berliner Weiss and a very special gold flake-infused pale ale.

In other drink-related news, local producers TOSQ will be bringing their organic wines, all made from estate-grown and organically-farmed grapes, while expect Māori Point Vineyard, located on the banks of the Clutha near Tarras, will be on point with their summer wines, including sparkling Gold Digger frizzante and Pinot Noir Rosē.

And Central Otago’s Quartz Reef, specialists in Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot-Chardonnay Methode Traditionnelle, will be on refreshment duties in the Quartz Reef LushZone.

Or how about a gin and tonic? According to Cardrona Distillery head distiller Sarah Elsom, the distillery is “over the moon” to be a part of the first TUKI. “We are bringing the Source [rosehip barrel-aged gin], and the tonic. It’s going to be a G&T-kind-of-day filled with good people, good music and great spirits!” she said.

Wanaka’s beer boom has been matched recently with a food truck explosion—at least 10 trucks have been taking regularly to the town’s streets and to regional events, and an array up them will be rolling up their mini-kitchens to the TUKI site next February.

For hungry dancers, the girls from TiriTiri Kitchen and Lush Foods are teaming up to bringing their Tiritiri Lush Truck to TUKI. Look forward to delicious dumplings as well as homemade gourmet burgers—including an Asian pulled pork burger, a battered fish burger and a Kiwi burger.

Also confirmed, Morsel the Honest Food Co will be doing a Vietnamese stall in the main event and sharing platters with ethnic vibes for the LushZone; Hotwings will be on the job with spicy chicken wings and hotdogs; and Mantra Curry will have butter chicken and rice, lamb wrap, onion bhajis and samosas, and mango lassis on-site.

TUKI takes place on February 10, 2018 at Glendhu Bay, Wanaka.

Tickets are available online at Ticketek (ticketek.co.nz/tukifestival/) and Cosmic (cosmicticketing.co.nz/event/show/5244).

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