Celebrity Chefs

Cooking master class

Showcasing our kaimoana this year are some of New Zealand’s top chefs. They’ll make fresh, delicious dishes look quick and easy to prepare.

Get ready for your seafood cooking master class hosted by our chefs on the Cooking Stage.

This year we are delighted to welcome a number of NZ chefs.

With some exciting chefs in this years line up, keep your eyes peeled for exciting announcements. 

Each chef will perform a 40 minute culinary presentation. Prepare to be inspired!

Chef Ray McVinnie

Nici Wickes

Nici Wickes is a well known food personality, TV chef and author who just loves to share her cooking knowledge in a fun and practical way. Her approach to cooking is simple – source the very best ingredients you can afford, focus on flavour over technique and definitely don’t stress! Nici’s hugely popular Instagram videos of what she’s cooking for dinner have audiences drooling and running to their own kitchens to recreate her easy yet utterly delicious dishes. 

.

Chef Nici Wickes

Claire Aldous

As the editor of Dish Magazine, one of New Zealand’s award winning foodie magazines, Claire brings to the Oceans Festival the desire to produce inspiring, delicious and accessible recipes using produce in season. With over 30 years in the food industry, Claire brings her love of cooking to the celebrity cooking stage with a variety of styles and cuisines.

Chef Nici Wickes

Alia Branson

Alia has a love of growing, cooking, and sharing food. Alongside husband Shaun, Alia showcased her passion for food to become the first TVNZ’s Cooks On Fire BBQ Champions in 2022.

Chef Ray McVinnie

Shaun Branson

Shaun discovered cooking with charcoal when he picked up an old school Weber Kettle Barbecue at a second-hand store. Cooking over solid fuel ignited a passion in Shaun that quickly developed into a deep dive into the nuances of barbecuing.

Chef Ray McVinnie

Sarah and Otis Frizzell

Sarah and Otis Frizzell are the dynamic duo behind The Lucky Taco. The pair fell in love with tacos and the iconic Californian taco trucks while on a trip to Mexico and LA. The passionate cooks trained with some of the best chefs in Mexico and returned to establish one of Aotearoa’s very first food trucks.

indulge yourself

Email Us

Contact Us

  • pStallholder & General enquiries: Clare Tod
  • info@oceansfestival.co.nz
  • +64 21 231 5901
  • pCo-ordinator: Nick Reader
  • coordinator@oceansfestival.co.nz
  • +64 21 632 721
  • pTicket Support Flicket
  • support@flicket.co.nz
  • +64 921 42183