Roll up for the chefs’ show

Visitors to Kiwi’s Best Kitchen will get tips not only from Josh Emett, but also other foodies such as Helen Jackson and Niki Bezzant, along with Fieldays regular Gerard Perraut.

All four of the chefs will be demonstrating for the hungry crowd.

Healthy Food Guide editor Bezzant says she loves the friendly energy of the event. “It’s a chance to talk to a group of really interesting and interested people who are keen to hear new ideas.”

Jackson, who is on the Radio Live Kitchen and Garden show, says she will also take the chance to wander around the pavilion and get recipe and ingredients inspiration.

Perraut says he will bring ingredients from his native France as part of his demonstration.

Introducing the chefs to the audience and making it all run smoothly out front is Wintec’s Cate Prestidge, back for her second year as MC in the food marquee.

The Kiwi Kitchen is about showcasing New Zealand’s favourite food and beverages, and the Kitchen Theatre demonstrations will have something in store for everybody, no matter how young or old, she says. It will be handy for those who wish to learn some new tips and each chef will have their own individual demonstration style.

“You get to watch real food being prepared and it’s fun being in a live audience. The fact that you can talk to the chefs or get an autograph after adds to the experience.”

Prestidge’s job is to let the chefs shine. When it comes to Emett, she says he is highly organised. “He does his own prep, he is very self-sufficient, and he doesn’t need help or me standing him beside him. The audience wants to hear him and not me, and he gets people to come in and get involved in the cooking process.”

Prestidge, a Wintec team manager, works alongside dedicated Fieldays volunteers, including Olwyn Downing, who leads the kitchen team. She says she enjoys cooking herself but is more of a home cook. “I always got ideas every day I was at the Kiwi’s Best Kitchen Marquee. You can walk around and buy things like cheese and products that are Kiwi-made, and you can try things that are different.”

The Kiwi Kitchen Theatre demonstrations are on daily during Fieldays