Nine To Noon The West Coast's annual celebration of wild foods
Mar 10, 2026
Carrie Lancaster, event coordinator for the West Coast Wild Foods Festival in Hokitika, oversees stalls, programming and visitor info. She talks about an eclectic lineup of 57 food stalls and foraged beverages. Conversation covers cricket and bug preparations, how insects are presented, the mix of local and travelling vendors, music and feral fashion events, and timing based on weather patterns.
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Wild Foods Mixes Extreme Eats With Familiar Choices
- The Wild Foods Festival mixes extreme novelty dishes with mainstream options so attendees can choose adventurous or familiar foods.
- Carrie Lancaster lists snails, hoo-hoo grubs, mountain oysters and 57 food stalls including foraged beverages to show the range.
Crickets Taste Like Crispy Chicken
- Deep-fried crickets are a long-time crowd favourite and described as tasting like chicken with crispy skin.
- Carrie warns you'll be picking wings from your teeth afterwards and plans to try chocolate-covered crickets this year.
Culinary Craft Transforms Gross Foods
- Many seemingly 'gross' wild foods are actually tasty because stallholders treat them as culinary challenges.
- Carrie says longstanding vendors take pride and craft culinary masterpieces from odd ingredients.