We showed up hungry for the food tour.
With the tour starting at 9:30 am we didn’t eat much breakfast, figuring we would eat our fill and perhaps more.
After three hours of walking through downtown Wellington with food stops we were still anxious to find a place to eat lunch. The name of the tour was “Capital Tastes” and I should have paid more attention to the title because it was just that: a series of “tastes.”
There wasn’t really enough food to get full. The tour was more about the stories behind the food than the food itself.
Our guide Liz, was excellent and knowledgeable, and every location had a fascinating story behind the business, allowing us a glimpse into the burgeoning gourmet food scene in Wellington.
Coffee
At Mojo Coffee Roasters, we watched the coffee roasting. While enjoying a cup and a biscuit, we learned how they grew from roasting small batches of beans to opening 35 cafes in and around Wellington. They are proud of their family’s Greek heritage and passion for producing excellent coffee in New Zealand. This company pretty much created the local coffee culture over 15 years ago and has inspired others to jump in and create great coffee.
Peanut Butter
We tasted excellently flavored peanut butter at the sales window of Fix & Fogg, while learning about how the owners left their law practice to make a better butter. They source and roast high quality peanuts and add minimal salt. Now the flavored peanut butters are in the grocery stores and getting ready to sell on Amazon. The owners continue to be very hands-on and committed to ecologically sustainable practices as well as being certified as a Living Wage Employer.
Gelato
At Gelissimo Gelato we peeked in the recipe book and saw that most gelatos are made with less than 6 ingredients-all natural and/or organic. The owner had to buy the gelato store to make better gelato.His quality and emphasis on flavor is now the standard to which all others aspire. We tasted the delicious fruit and cream flavors and got to pick two for a cup of our own.
Chocolate
While delighting in a chocolate truffle, we learned how the owners at the Wellington Chocolate Factory are committed to produce single origin, fair trade dark chocolate bars and candies. They source beans from Peru, Dominican Republic, and other countries. They also make delicious “Inclusion” bars with flavors like salted brittle caramel, craft beer, and chilli peanuts. They are committed to sustainable farming, harvesting, transportation and production methods. I went a little crazy buying up one of every kind of chocolate bar to take home. (And yes, they made it home!)
Antipasti
There was a stop at a fresh food market where we sampled local cheeses and meats. along with a locally made soft drink. Again, we learned that small farmers can do well with gourmet products here.
