Tourism / Events / Hospitality

Jessica Wiggins is serious about telling the rich and detailed Hawke’s Bay foodand-wine story. With a wine industry that is the oldest in the country and a food offering delivered by passionate artisans and chefs who have carved out a true legacy for the region and the cuisine of Aotearoa, she has a lot of material to work with. Jessica, the Media and PR Manager at Hawke’s Bay Tourism, works alongside her team unearthing the unique and delicious Hawke’s Bay stories that have put the region firmly on the map as New Zealand’s Food & Wine Country. Just some of the fruits of their passionate work to support their community include: the establishment of the F.A.W.C! Legends programme, which sits within the spectacular F.A.W.C! Festival, to acknowledge those leaders who established Hawke’s Bay as the fantastic foodie playground that it is today; and Hawke’s Bay receiving the accolade of being named a Great Wine Capital of the World, which sees the region join the likes of Bordeaux and the Napa Valley in an elite global network. As a part of the Great Wine Capitals programme, next year will see the Best of Wine Tourism Awards presented in Hawke’s Bay. There are seven categories that local operators can enter and local winners will go up against the best worldwide at the international awards – a fantastic opportunity to share further the noteworthy achievements of local operators, who have quietly punched well above their weight for a long time now. And, in fact, Jessica herself has been punching well above her weight: you won’t find a woman more committed to the development of meaningful and valuable relationships and partnerships that truly demonstrate the importance that the food-and-drink story can play on so many levels.