Wellington on a Plate Events

Savour has collaborated with top restaurants and hotels to create curated feasts where dinner guests learn the stories and history behind their meal.

We’ve collaborated with Hippopotamus restaurant at the Museum (now QT) Hotel on a “Dine with Monet” Wellington-on-a-plate event where the chefs recreated recipes from Claude Monet’s life in Giverny; in 2018, Sofitel joined Savour to bring to life the era of the Parisian Belle Epoque with an evening of fine dining, cabaret music and culinary history.

More recently, we've collaborated with Te Papa Museum on a series of cooking workshops for children and with the Katherine Mansfield House and Garden on a literary-themed cooking event (for Wellington on a Plate 2024). We've also hosted the fabulous culinary gastronomad and Kiwi icon, Peta Mathias, for a series of cooking workshops at Te Papa Museum to celebrate love and food stories from her book 'Eat Your Heart Out'.

Savour founder, Dr. Wendy Nolan Joyce, holds a PhD in French and art history from Princeton University, runs lecture series for Victoria University Continuing Education, and runs food and art tours to France. She is available to help create curated feasts for restaurants, hotels, wineries, lodges and private events. Please get in touch with help planning your next event and check out the photos from our past events below.

Parisian Belle Epoque

Jardin Grill, Sofitel

Diners travelled back in time to Paris of La Belle Époque, a golden age for French cuisine. Wendy collaborated with Chef Roy Giam to recreate the flavours and elegant atmosphere of Parisian life a century ago. His five-course degustation menu was paired with fine wines and champagnes. Soprano Barbara Paterson entertained us with opera and cabaret songs of the era. 2018.

Dine with Monet

Hippopotamus Restaurant, Museum Hotel

Few know Claude Monet was as much of a foodie as he was a painter. Art historian Dr Wendy Joyce of Victoria University of Wellington and executive chef Laurent Loudeac created a five-course menu inspired by Monet’s cookbook, Monet’s Palate, taking diners on a journey to late 19th-century France and exploring connections between painting and gastronomy. Surrounded by the extensive art collection of QT Museum Wellington, immerse yourself in history, art and traditional French cuisine.

Sarah Meikle, Director Wellington on a Plate, 2017.