Waikato Food Inc

Love Bites is coming to Love the Centre - Hamilton Central this August. Bites sized treats for you to enjoy. Here's a little taster.
Hamilton Central eateries, bars, cafes, bakeries, restaurants... you have until tomorrow to enter your Bite.
Need more details email [email protected]

Love BITES is coming to Love the Centre - Hamilton Central this August. If you are an eatery in the CBD you need to get involved! Free publicity, a great activation in what is traditionally a very quiet month.
Comment below and we'll send you more details.

Introducing Love Bites.
This August we are giving Hamiltonians to a new way to enjoy eating out in Hamilton Central and we would love eateries in Hamilton Love the Centre - Hamilton Central to be part of this exciting month-long event.

To enter simply create a beautiful BITE that will be available throughout the month of August.
Your BITE can be cheap and cheerful, or it can be elaborate and expensive. It should be something that represents your eatery, a reason for people to come in and try it.
BITE is all about creating a buzz, promoting eateries in Hamilton Central and getting people dining in what is traditionally a very quiet month.
There are no rules, we just ask you to keep with the brief – a bite. It should be able to be eaten without cutlery in. Think a great canape.
For more info email [email protected]

"The best way to understand Emilia-Romagna’s impact on Italian culture is to travel across it, tasting wines, visiting artisans and exploring cities where fine food and craftsmanship are a way of life. Here, wine doesn’t accompany food; it completes it. “Made in Emilia-Romagna” means made with patience, purpose and pride. The region is more than Italy’s pantry—it is its soul. And each stop on a journey through it reveals a unique expression of this remarkable part of the world." this quote from an article in Wine Enthusiast titled The Heart of the Italian Boot sums up perfectly why you need to come with us on our Taste of Emilia Romagna tour in June!
A link to their full article can be found at the end of our feature on Bologna here https://tasteoftours.com/2025/02/19/a-taste-of-emilia-romagna/

Looking for a foodie adventure in 2026?
Check out award winning Taste of Tours!
Taste of Croatia with in June with Vicki Ravlich-Horan and Julie Le Clerc
Taste of South Australia with Julia and Andrew Clarke
or Taste of Sri Lanka with Emma Galloway in July. Spaces filling fast!

Announced: We're reviewing red tape affecting hospitality, and we want to hear from you.

Restaurants, bars, cafes, food trucks, hotels – these businesses employ 145,000 people, they bring life to our towns, and they've worked valiantly to bounce back after Covid. But red tape and dumb rules make things harder than they should be.

For example, some business owners might be required to get resource consents on top of alcohol licenses, so that customers can enjoy a cold beer in sun. In other areas of the country just an alcohol license is required.

In a hotel with an alcohol license, a guest can purchase a glass of wine in the bar but they cannot take the glass to their room. It just doesn’t make sense. That same guest can purchase a bottle of wine from the supermarket to drink in their room.

Local councils put disproportionate costs on small food truck owners to operate at events. We heard frustration at extensive council paperwork requirements, inspections, and various fees totalling over $900, for one event.

It should be easy to open a hospo business, employ staff, and serve paying customers. So the Ministry for Regulation is now hearing submissions on what rules to fix.

If your local is affected by dumb rules, I hope you'll make a submission. You can find the link below.

In the kitchen for the last Palate Soup Kitchen this Sunday from 12 noon is the wonderful Andy from The Keg Room with is Sri Lankan Mulligatawny and Joe from Palate with a Mushroom and Parmesan creation.
Frozen take away soups (2 for $30) also available.
We'd love to see you there and have us raise as much money as possible for Go Eco.
HUGE thanks to SkyCity Hamilton for their sponsorship which means every single cent you pay for your soup goes to Go Eco!!

This Sunday's souperb chefs cooking at the .nz Soup Kitchen raising funds for are -
Harry Willi@redbarnnz ) – Smoked Artichoke & Watercress
Lisa Quarrie ( ) – Roasted butternut & carrot soup with tahini and tamari pumpkin seeds (Vegan / Gluten Free)
We also have frozen takeaway soups (variety of flavours) 2 for $30
See you this Sunday from 12noon

HUGE thanks to for their sponsorship and [email protected] for their support

Join the two Mat's for a night of great food & Wine.
https://palaterestaurant.co.nz/events/