It's a warm summer evening in Papamoa, people line up eagerly in anticipation as the smell of tasty kai drifts on the breeze.
After two years of waiting, Dinner in the Domain returns next week, with food trucks ready to fill the community's belly for the silly season!
Little Big Events director Rachelle Duffy couldn't be more thrilled to have this summer cornerstone back in the Bay of Plenty. 'It's such a great feeling because pre-Covid the event was really successful…it was heaving and we were having at least 2000 people turning up.
'I think all of us have been pretty resilient over the last two years of not being able to do it, so I think we're kind of going back to our roots really,” says Rachelle. 'We're just making sure that we have got a variety of food and hoping we have beautiful sunshine.”
Something for everyone
Speaking of the menu, Rachelle says any type of food you can think of – will be on offer. 'We've got French food, we've got Mexican, American barbecues, healthy options, and vegan options.
'We just try and make sure we've got a mixture of sweet and savoury.” Asked what food truck she will be lining up to first, Rachelle says: 'It's such a hard decision because I like them all!” However, she does make note of taco joint, Tacos Tocayo. 'They're going to be newbies on the street with us, which is really cool, so I'm definitely wanting to try their authentic Mexican tacos for sure.”
Matua
Rachelle would also like to shine a light on Dinner in the Park, which is exactly the same as Dinner in the Domain – just at a different location based in Matua. 'We're also wanting to cater to the needs of our Otumoetai whanau,” says Rachelle. With local Mount Brewing Co pouring the drinks and live music playing, Rachelle says the atmosphere is awesome at the dinner series events. 'We kind of have these mini festivals every Thursday and every Sunday, which is really fun.”
From Thursday, November 3, Dinner in the Domain will be held every Thursday until Thursday, March 2023, running from 5pm-8-30pm at The Papamoa Pony Club, 491 Papamoa Beach Rd.
Dinner in the Park will be held every Sunday from Sunday, November 6, until Sunday, March 26, also running from 5pm-8.30pm at Matua Park, Hall Rd, Matua.