Porirua will serve up 20 Unique Burger Wellington entries, an Elvis festival, local chocolate history and dining experiences when Visa Wellington On a Plate runs throughout August.
Events and burgers will feature across Porirua, Mana, Whitby, Plimmerton and Titahi Bay as part of the wider regional food festival.
One of the biggest local events will be Elvistraganza at Titahi Bay Mall on Saturday, 8 August.
The free, all-ages festival hosted by The Beer Engine will include karaoke, lip-sync and Elvis lookalike competitions, alongside food from the venue and neighbouring businesses.
The Beer Engine will also host Chapel o’ Burnin’ Love, where couples can choose a legal wedding, vow renewal or just-for-fun commitment ceremony led by Elvis.
Packages include a Cadillac arrival, bubbles, photographs, wedding cake and a playful take on Elvis Presley’s peanut butter, bacon and banana sandwich.
At Pātaka Art + Museum, the free Unwrapped exhibition will trace Whittaker’s journey from its original family business to 130 years of chocolate-making in Porirua.
Running daily throughout August, the exhibition will include historic memorabilia, advertising, contemporary artworks and a chocolate scent station.
Tuk Tuk Thai Kitchen will host Crying Tiger from Wednesdays to Saturdays, with a three-course menu inspired by northeast Thailand.
The menu centres on beef marinated for 48 hours and chargrilled, served with sticky rice and Isarn dipping sauce. It also includes an apple and prawn salad and aromatic tom zapp pork soup.
Sushil’s Musclechef Café will present A Culinary Tale of India on Saturday, 1 August.
Chef Sushil will guide diners through six courses alternating between North and South Indian dishes, sharing the family stories, traditions and techniques behind each course. The event is sold out.
Porirua’s Burger Wellington line-up includes beef, chicken, pork, pāua and dessert creations.
Indoplus Kitchen’s Bang Bang Rendang features crumbed chicken rendang, while Columbus Coffee Porirua is offering The 60gram Rumour with two smashed beef patties, double cheddar, fried egg and gochujang mayonnaise.
Meltdown Burgers’ Tell Your Friends combines smashed beef with Japanese curry macaroni cheese, and Sandbar Mana’s Beef There, Done That features corned silverside, coleslaw, pickles and mustard sauce.
Seafood options include Paua Pavarotti from Wellington Seamarket Porirua and Talk of the Tide from The Jetty in Plimmerton.
Zelati Dessert Cafe’s Turon-Me-On is a sweet burger made with banana gelato, ube shell, jackfruit jam, coconut caramel and filo pastry in a glazed brioche bun.
Other local entries include burgers from Elemental Eats, Whitby Co-Op Kitchen & Bar, Pho Sho Porirua, T Bay Cafe, Get Fixed Bicycle Cafe and Panhead Bar, The Karaage Kid, Whitby’s Restaurant & Bar, Gear Homestead Venue and Bar, Little Manila, Tuk Tuk Thai Kitchen, Peppermill Cafe and Chicken Man.
Visa Wellington On a Plate runs throughout August, with 245 burgers and 99 events across Wellington and the wider region.
The full programme, booking details and individual event dates are available at https://visawoap.com/explore?category=burger