Chelsea Winter to Headline Katikati AvoFest 2026

Beloved Kiwi food personality and bestselling cookbook author Chelsea Winter has been confirmed as the celebrity chef for Katikati AvoFest 2026, taking place at Uretara Domain on 10 January. Winter will run hourly cooking demonstrations throughout the afternoon inside the Seeka Kitchen Marquee, showcasing avocado-inspired dishes that celebrate the region's reputation as Aotearoa's Avocado Capital.

Festival-goers can look forward to accessible, flavour-forward recipes including flatbreads with avocado and whipped feta, Vietnamese-style poached chicken and avocado salad, hot smoked salmon and avocado cups, and a rich orange-chocolate mousse. KatchKatikati events manager Kylie Watkins said Winter's approachable style makes her a natural fit for the event, while Katikati Paper Plus store manager Emma Low described the visit as "very exciting for our rural region".

Winter will also host a book signing at 5pm in the Seeka Kitchen Marquee, where her latest release Nourish will be available to purchase on the day. Fans are welcome to bring along any of her earlier books to be signed.

Beyond the kitchen, the festival — running from midday to 6pm — will feature live music on the DMS stage, with performances from The Relatives, Sonar Flare, The Lady Killers (featuring Tina Cross, Suzanne Lynch, and Jackie Clarke), and headline act Tami Neilson. General tickets remain available through iTicket and KatikatiAvoFest.co.nz, though early bird and premium tickets have already sold out.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).