Latest news with #BluffOyster&FoodFestival
Otago Daily Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
More space for oyster fans at this year's festival
Lindsay Beer. PHOTO: NINA TAPU It will be a full floor when the Bluff Oyster & Food Festival takes place today. The festival returned last year — the first time since 2021 — after a break of a few years because of Covid and health and safety issues. But today's festival will be bigger and better, as the entire space originally planned for the festival will be available for the first time. The trust bought the rundown Club Hotel, a Category 2 heritage building, and the land in 2014. However, there were health and safety concerns associated with the hotel on the festival site. The trust then attempted to sell it but failed to attract a buyer, so it applied to the Invercargill City Council in 2019 for resource consent to demolish the building. The festival organisers finally gained consent to demolish the old hotel building in January last year after a previous attempt. A year on from the demolition, there is another 800sq m of floor being used and it will give the sold-out crowd plenty of room to roam. Bluff promotions officer Lindsay Beer said more space would be great for those attending. Tickets for the event had sold out weeks ago and 4000 punters would be rolling up to enjoy the food and refreshments on offer. About 60% of the people who attend come from outside Southland. A plane of 180 grab-a-seat passengers is flying into Invercargill from Auckland this morning and they are set to head back to Auckland later today. Mr Beer said people from all round the world turned up for the day. The weather in Bluff had been a bit rough earlier this week but a decent day was forecast for today. Mr Beer confirmed the oysters arrived yesterday and were all set to be eaten by the masses today. One of the highlights of the day are the races, which involve professional oyster openers racing each other with events for men, women, novices, factory relay teams and a blindfold race. Xavier Fife, of Calders Oysters, won the Men's Open last year, opening 50 oysters in a time of 3min 9sec. Mr Fife is back to defend the title this year while a two-time champion, Ricci Grant, is confirmed to be in the field as well. Vic Pearsey had won 10 titles in a row in the Women's Open before standing aside last year when Peg Bishop took over the mantle getting through 50 oysters in 3min 34sec. Ms Bishop is not competing this year, so the title race is wide open. Team Barnes won the Factory Relay race in 2024 but face tough competition this year from a Calders Oysters team of previous men's champions. After the openers have demonstrated their skills, volunteers from the crowd are invited on stage to find the fastest competitor to down a dozen of Bluff's finest.
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Scoop
14-05-2025
- Scoop
Bluff Oyster Festival - Latest News [Page 1]
More Spacious Site Awaits 2025 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival The hotel, which was deemed a dangerous building, was the reason the 2023 Festival was cancelled, organisers determining that it was inappropriate and impractical to invite 4000 visitors to celebrate in the shadow of the Club Hotel given the Dangerous ... More >> Big Crowd And Big Achievement At Oyster Festival Sunday, 23 May 2021, 4:59 am | Bluff Oyster Festival The Bluff Oyster & Food Festival is back and it is just as popular as ever. After an enforced break last year due to alert level restrictions, showery weather did not deter the crowd as the queue stretched around the block waiting for the gates ... More >> Crowds Turn Out for Chilly Bluff Oyster & Food Festival Sunday, 27 May 2018, 11:07 am | Bluff Oyster Festival It was a chilly day but the crowds still turned out for the 2018 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival in Bluff today. More >> New Innovations And Old Favourites at Oyster Festival Monday, 21 May 2018, 1:47 pm | Bluff Oyster Festival A capacity crowd will enjoy some new innovations and plenty of old favourites plus of course the big favourite, the iconic Bluff Oyster, at the 2018 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival in Bluff on Saturday (26 May). More >> Tickets Selling Well for Next Years Bluff Oyster Festival Thursday, 23 November 2017, 8:39 am | Bluff Oyster Festival Fifty percent of the tickets for next year's Bluff Oyster & Food Festival, scheduled to take place in Bluff on Saturday 26 May 2018, have been sold and event organisers are expecting a surge of sales over the next few weeks as traditionally ... More >> Crowds Travel From Afar for Bluff Oyster & Food Festival Saturday, 20 May 2017, 8:10 pm | Bluff Oyster Festival It was sold out two months before the gates opened and the crowds arrived right on cue for the 2017 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival in Bluff today. More >> Oyster Festival Set For Saturday Monday, 15 May 2017, 11:00 am | Bluff Oyster Festival The Bluff Oyster & Food Festival takes place in Bluff this Saturday (20 May) with tickets for the event having sold out nearly two months ago. Accordingly there will be no gate sales this year. More >> Bluff Oyster & Food Festival sold out Wednesday, 29 March 2017, 10:57 am | Bluff Oyster Festival The sold out signs are up for the 2017 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival on Saturday 20 May! More >> Don't Wait - It Will Be Too Late Tuesday, 28 February 2017, 9:31 am | Bluff Oyster Festival Organisers of the 2017 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival, scheduled for the port town of Bluff on Saturday 20 May, are advising those planning to attend to get their tickets - quickly! More >> Every Mode of Transport Helps Full Oyster Festival Wednesday, 18 May 2016, 11:02 am | Bluff Oyster Festival Almost every mode of transport is being employed as people from every corner of New Zealand and beyond descend on Bluff this Saturday for the 2016 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival at the Festival site in Lee Street, Bluff. More >> Full House for Oyster Festival Monday, 16 May 2016, 10:25 am | Bluff Oyster Festival Tickets are sold out for the 2016 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival which takes place at the Festival site in Lee Street, Bluff on Saturday 21 May. More >> Whopper Oyster Festival In Store Wednesday, 11 May 2016, 12:49 pm | Bluff Oyster Festival A fantastic event is in store when the 2016 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival takes place at the Festival site in Lee Street, Bluff onSaturday 21 May. More >> Oyster Festival on Target Thursday, 17 March 2016, 10:01 am | Bluff Oyster Festival Oyster Festival on Target Preparations are well underway for the 2016 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival at the Oyster Festival site in Lee Street, Bluff. More >> Date Announced for 2016 Oyster Festival Tuesday, 30 June 2015, 12:09 pm | Bluff Oyster Festival Saturday 21 May 2016 is the date to mark in your diary for the 2016 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival. More >> New Oyster Festival Venue Debuts with Flying Colours Monday, 25 May 2015, 9:49 am | Bluff Oyster Festival "Great!" It was a succinct comment from Bluff Oyster & Food Festival Chairman John Edminstin, but it more than adequately summed up the 2015 Festival in Bluff on Saturday. More >> Pearsey Returns to Strive for Five Wednesday, 20 May 2015, 11:44 am | Bluff Oyster Festival The abandonment of last years Bluff Oyster & Food Festival due to high winds meant that the popular Oyster Opening Competitions were not held in 2015 but with a superb new venue that scenario will not be repeated this year. Good entries have ... More >> Oyster Festival on Track Wednesday, 13 May 2015, 11:30 am | Bluff Oyster Festival Less than two weeks to go until the 2015 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival on Saturday 23 May and things are pointing towards a spectacular event. More >> New Role for Lovett Wednesday, 21 May 2014, 9:59 am | Bluff Oyster Festival Nine time Bluff Oyster & Food Festival Men's Oyster Opening Champion, Keith Lovett of Bluff, will be back on stage for this year's competition on Saturday 24 May. More >>
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Oyster festival sells out; same format in 2025
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Competitors shuck oysters blindfolded during a Bluff Oyster & Food Festival. Tickets have sold out for the 2025 festival. Oyster opening, eating and blindfolded competitions provide great entertainment for the crowd throughout the day. This year's festival, will be at the Bluff Oyster & Food Festival site in Lee St, on May 24 and will feature the same successful recipe. Plentiful seafood with the star of the show — the Bluff oyster — as well as other food selections, a wide choice of beverages, a full programme of musical entertainment and the unique oyster opening and eating events. The 2024 festival, which was the first for three years after various disruptions, was a great success and this year's event looks to be on track to repeat that success.
