Co-Lab is Venues Ōtautahi’s flexible food unit, which interchanges local vendors at each event and has included the likes of Riccarton’s Dumplings $2 Rice, Dimitris, Inati and Jaeju.
It comes after food vendors at One New Zealand Stadium received a record-breaking payday of more than $700,000 from the venue’s opening week.
Christchurch’s Wolfbrook Arena is bringing One New Zealand Stadium food vendors to events. Photo / Alyse Wright
Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said the resounding success of the food offerings at One New Zealand Stadium paved the way for change at Wolfbrook Arena.
“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to step up the event experience at Wolfbrook Arena,” she said.
“The feedback from One NZ Stadium’s food offerings has been wonderful, so it makes sense to expand the model to Wolfbrook Arena.”
Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare.
Harvie-Teare said the change was about deepening the support for local vendors.
“It gives us the opportunity to provide a broader range of local, quality food and to further ensure our guests know that attending events at Venues Ōtautahi venues means tasting some of the best food from our region and supporting local businesses,” she said.
“By procuring locally, we not only bring the authentic taste of Canterbury to our guests but also contribute to the sustainability and economic growth of the community that supports us.
Smokey T’s Owner Tristin Anderson said it’s exciting to take the next step after a successful four months at One New Zealand Stadium.
“We’re really excited to be part of what’s happening at Wolfbrook Arena and to give people another reason to come and enjoy great local food while they’re here,” he said.
“For the Smokey T’s team, the opportunity represents another major step in the growth of the Christchurch-born brand.”
Venues Ōtautahi executive chef Dan Shanks said the changes at Wolfbrook Arena were part of the evolution of the venue’s food offerings, while staying centred under its “support local” ethos.
“At One NZ Stadium, we wanted locals to feel a real sense of pride when they are in the stadium and it should be the same when they enter Wolfbrook Arena,” Shanks said.
“Working with the right collective of food vendors means we support our regional producers and provide food that is efficient, fun and, most importantly, delicious.”
Venues Ōtautahi also operates the Christchurch Town Hall, Wolfbrook Arena, the Air Force Museum of New Zealand and Hagley Oval.
It has procured 82% of their food and beverage from local suppliers in the last financial year.