News | 5 September 2016

Market serves up wild food from some of our worst pests!

As part of Conservation week Wellington City Council, in partnership with the Department of Conservation, will host a wild food fare at Harbourside Market on Sunday 11 and Sunday 18 September.

Pest Feast promotional poster image of five people in the outdoors.

This will be a Pest FEAST! Serving up delicious pests and sumptuous beasts - trap your taste buds with goat curry or satisfy your stomach by snaring some wallaby pies, venison burgers, and even gorse flower sorbet.

Pest FEAST is all part of Conservation Week (10-18 September) led by the Department of Conservation and in partnership with the Council. It’s a week full of fun and inspiring activities with the hope to encourage people from all walks of life to get involved in conservation and find out how they can help protect and enjoy the natural environment.

Six of the Harbourside Market’s regular stall holders and some independent chefs have taken on the challenge to create some wild food from invasive flora and fauna. After you’ve satisfied your hunger, there will be experts on hand to talk about pests in Wellington. Learn the best pest-trapping techniques or swap a weed for a native plant, and meet some front-line weed-busting beetles.

Amber Bill, the Council’s Open Space and Parks Manager, is really proud of the Wellington community for their hard work that has been put in so far to eradicate pests from the region. “Every year hundreds of Wellingtonians play their part in helping get rid of weeds and pest animals. And the introduction of events like Pest FEAST provides a fantastic opportunity to celebrate their work and give others the opportunity to literally get a taste for it.”

Harbourside Market is Wellington’s most popular produce market with up to 20,000 visitors every Sunday. It is a community based market with regular community events such as fundraising, fact finding, and performances.