Music
Great sounds to lift the vibe all around
We have an amazing line up of music this year including kiwi icons Dragon, summer boppin' Tahuna Breaks and legendary Mi-Sex. You'll be sure to have a blast with these ever popular sing along acts.
 DragonAustralasian rock legends Dragon headline the festival for 2014! Don't miss this iconic band who will set the festival on fire with hit songs like 'April Sun in Cuba' and 'Are You Old Enough' |
 Mi-SexSublime Kiwi New Wave.... Mi-Sex is not to be missed! |
 Tahuna BreaksTahuna Breaks have always encompassed a rich diversity of musical genres and styles. With seven members, the group’s live act is energetic, raw and large. It combines aspects of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and is influenced by artists as varied as James Brown to Daft Punk. |
 1 Drop NationWith an eclectic mix of songs, 1 Drop Nation's unique sound is guaranteed to draw you into the rhythm from intro to outro.
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 Heel & FaceTop quality house music from the Hauswerk boys |
Information
BEER LOVERS START FROTHING!!
Yes the Great Kiwi Beer Festival is back for 2014
The last festival was a real beerstravaganza, and with more exciting craft beers on the market than ever, 2014's installment will knock it out of the park!
The Great Kiwi Beer Festival is a day-long outdoor celebration of brewing in New Zealand, hosted by industry experts and featuring a range of over 100 local, national, and international beers.
Sample a world of brews from diverse locales spanning Europe, to America to Asia and back to the best of NZ. There is a big wide world of fantastic styles and flavours, enough to treat and delight everyone, even the most experienced of bearded beer-ficiandos.
How often do you taste a brew so stunning you have to high5 the brewer? At the GKBF it's just how you do it! - With the presence of many brew-masters onsite you get the opportunity to interact with the beer brain trust and unlock the secrets behind your new favourite beer and cider brands.
With live music performances from NZ's crème de la crème, beer and food matching sessions, cooking demonstrations, educational seminars, brand experience areas, all your mates, and much more, the Great Kiwi Beer Festival is the ultimate “cheers” to New Zealand’s affinity with the great amber nectar and the perfect way to round off the summer.
BREWERIES
IT'S GONNA BE A BEERSTRAVAGANZA
There will be 50 breweries at this years festival providing an even bigger range of your old favourites, along with new craft beers to wrap your taste buds around. With such a huge range of beer styles available its sure to be an enlightening experience.
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Beer Academy
Pomeroy's Craft Beer Academy has some thought provoking and glass raising seminars this year.
Check out the interesting people and topics below.
Yeastie Boys & Eric Crompton
'Money Changes Everything -The Price of Craft Beer' - 12pm Through the 1990's you'd probably find Eric Crampton studying hard or relaxing over a few beers, while Stu McKinlay would be relaxing in class and dutifully studying his beer. Today the two come together to talk the economics and regulation of beer, why strong doesn't necessarily mean it's bad for society and whether beer is fairly treated against its industry companions. Oh, yes, and they'll do it all over a couple of limited release Yeastie Boys beers. |
Jules van Cruysen
What a difference a glass makes! - 1pm Get the best from your beer with Spiegelau's new craft beer glassware range. Spiegelau's years of technical expertise partnered with some of the world's most respected Craft Beer Brewers - Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada, has resulted in glassware that truly enhances the beer drinking experience. Presented by Jules van Cruysen, who writes regular drinks columns for Homestyle and Eat Magazines and contributes to PalatePress.com on craft beer. He is Sommelier, Account Manager and Beer Specialist for Macvine International Ltd. |
Richard Emerson
Beer & Whisky Matching - 2pm Richard Emerson is passionate about flavours, especially Beer and Whisky. His seminar will cover the growth of craft beer and resurgence of single malt whisky and how well the two go together. Expect some wonderful matches! |
Geoff Griggs
Real Ale: what's all the fuss about? - 3pm Beer writer, judge and educator Geoff Griggs will share his insights into the world of "real ale". You'll leave with an understanding of what it is, how it is made, and how it differs from "normal" beer. Tastings will showcase the differences between keg and cask beer, with brews from local favourites Twisted Hop and Cassels & Sons. |
Phil Cook
How to buy a beer - 4pm A little manifesto on better drinking in the form of a guide on how to navigate the wild variety of beer on offer. Following on from last year's 'Get More From Your Beer' and, with any luck, a snobbery-free and empowering set of principles to keep in mind — at every level, from newbie to guru |
8wired
Sour & Barrel Aged Beers - 5pm 8wired are renowned for their hoppy and big bold flavours with their Award winning range of beer. But many of brewer Soren Eriksen's recent endeavours have seen him explore sour and barrel aged beers with some astounding results. This seminar will explain 8Wired's barrel programme, the basic science behind sour beers, and their results from experimenting with different kinds of wood and wine barrels. |
Chefs Kitchen
The Chef's Kitchen has some delicious and different delicacies for you to enjoy.
Cameron Petley
Cameron was hugely popular in Series 2 of MasterChef NZ - an unassuming country bloke who cooked what he caught and hunted for his family. What's more, the judges thought he was a 'genius with flavour', able to understand what ingredients worked together perfectly - without any training at all. Now Head Chef at The Nash in Cambridge, this father of five draws in diners from all over the region and from far afield with his food. His first cookbook, Hunter from the Heartland, has been hugely successful and won Best Cookbook at the PANZ Book Design Awards 2013. See Cameron in action on the day in our Chefs’ Kitchen whipping up a storm and maybe even throwing a few hunting tips your way too! |
Mark Sycamore
Mark Sycamore – Head Chef – Tequila Mocking Bird – Christchurch Mark has had a prolific career working with some of New Zealand's leading chefs before coming into his own and taking up the reigns at one of New Zealand’s most awarded luxury lodges, Blanket Bay. His career started in Christchurch and has now come full circle as he has returned to Christchurch to head up the kitchen at one of Christchurch’s newest restaurants, Tequila Mocking Bird – with a Latin American inspired menu Mark and the team are certainly offering something different in the ‘new’ dining scene of Christchurch. Mark has received numerous awards and accolades and currently is a member of the New Zealand Culinary Team and has represented NZ at the 2009 Global Chefs Challenge Continental Semi-Final in Sydney and at the 2010 FHA Singapore and more recently the Welsh International Culinary Challenge in the UK. |
Simon Levy
Simon Levy, Head Chef at Harlequin Public House, showcases the Best of British cuisine. Simon has worked at a selection of the top restaurants in London, including Koffmann's and The Ivy. Former Head Chef at Gordon Ramsay's The Warrington, Simon's passion and perfectionism will be evident in the dishes he presents at the festival. |
Gary Miller
Well known for his work throughout the hospitality community of New Zealand and the Pacific Rim, he is regarded for his particular skills for event conception, organisation and delivery. But it is in the kitchen where he is happiest, working with simple fresh ingredients to bring out the best in flavour and sharing his enthusiasm and knowledge with an eager audience of food lovers. |
Jax Hamilton
Jax Hamilton needs little introduction with her much-loved style and flair. Since appearing on our screens during MasterChef Series 2 in 2011, Jax has won the hearts of the nation with her energetic pace and easy to love cooking style. |
BWB
Beer Without Borders
Beer Without Borders is the New Zealand importer of many of the world's most exciting and adventurous breweries. In their portfolio and at their marquee at the Great Kiwi Beer Festival you'll find an amazing selection of tap beers from Scandinavia, Asia, Europe and the United States.
The crew from Beer Without Borders have done the hard yards, travelling the world to bring back a bounty of beautiful brews so you can enjoy them closer to home. Nice one.
Brewers Table
SOBA Brewers Table
Once again the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA) invites you to ‘The Brewer’s Table’ – an opportunity for you to catch up with some of New Zealand’s best craft brewers. Every hour, on the hour, from midday to 6pm, craft brewers from Three Boys, Four Avenues and Cassels to name a few, will be on hand to talk about their beers and how they brew them. Sessions will commence with a short presentation, after which there’ll be an opportunity for you to ask questions. And you never know, in the past brewers have been known to bring along a little something special for sampling! Check the schedule for full details.
SOBA also invites you to head along to their marquee at any time to find out more about who they are and what they do, or just to chat with fellow beer lovers. They can even sign you up on the day if you’d like to join them.
