Hastings District Council has served up its second successful meatball festival, with more than 30,000 meaty delicacies cooked across the event as locals and visitors packed out the city’s streets on Friday night.
More than 5,500 tickets were snapped up in event presales – a 10% increase on last year’s numbers for the inaugural event.
Hastings Mayor, Wendy Schollum said the festival was now a highlight on her calendar.
“It’s brilliant to see that this year’s ticket holders came from not just Hastings and across Hawke’s Bay, but from around New Zealand and as far afield as Belgium, France, Canada, the UK, the United States and Australia,” she said.
“It was a fantastic turnout, showcasing all the flavour our city has to offer, and proving that once again, Hastings is punching above its weight when it comes to creating exciting opportunities right here in the regions.
“We love events that boost the economy, bring our CBD to life and lift everyone’s spirits with a bit of friendly competition!”
The event saw thousands of votes cast for the One NZ People’s Choice Award, with the winning meatball creation set to be announced later this week. The victorious meatballer will also earn a coveted place on the newly installed Hastings Ball of Fame. The Ball of Fame occupies a suitaball spot in Albert Square, alongside an original Dick Frizzell interpretation of the Hastings meatball.
Mayor Schollum said that while it was hard to pick who the winner would be, popular stops on the night included visiting meatballers Glen File (Onslow) and Michael Dearth (Baduzzi). Ben Bayly’s (Ahi) collaboration with Matangi Meat was the first offering to sell out, closely followed by Craggy Range.
“The meatball is so authentically Hastings, and it’s really special to see chefs of such huge repute taking time out of their schedules to showcase their talents right here in our city,” Mayor Schollum said.
“It’s a massive buzz for our local vendors too – where else in New Zealand do you see award winning restaurateurs shoulder to shoulder with bakeries, local bistros and food trucks?”
The Hastings Meatball Festival was also an opportunity for the wild and the wonderful – Cedric’s bar in Opera Lane created a meatball martini especially for the festival, and in the TW Group’s Social Square, whānau could help build a giant Lego meatball or take part in the Tremains ‘Balls to the Wall’ challenge.
