The Wellington region's food, wine and craft beer scene is about to be celebrated by the city's annual Wellington on a Plate festival. Rebecca Fox finds out that behind many of the stoves and tankards are Otago-raised or trained chefs and brewers.
Ask Vicki Ha about her Dunedin experience and you will not get a glowing report but despite that she admits it enabled her to grow up and into herself.
These days Ms Ha is known as the ''Dumpling Queen'' of Wellington, where she runs a thriving and expanding business making dumplings and sauces to her mother's traditional recipes.
She is the first to admit she has come a long way from the rebellious, wind-surfing teen who moved from Hong Kong to Dunedin aged 15 to go to boarding school at Columba College.
''It was a pretty bad experience for me. Dunedin back then was pretty white and I was a tomboy. I just didn't fit in.
''Now I'm a better person for all those experiences.''
Things improved when she moved on to the University of Otago to study food science and marketing.
She got to spread her wings and try things out, shaving her head and dressing alternatively.
''It was a real transition time for me. I could be what I wanted to be. I started to come out of my shell.
''She fondly remembers time sitting on the banks of the Water of Leith at the university enjoying the peacefulness, stone buildings and the ''odd trolley''.
Wellington beckoned - ''it's nice and comfy'' - after she completed university and was in need of a change.
''It's a very good community.''
She worked in the food industry, mainly doing front-of-house work until an opportunity opened up and she tried her hand in the kitchen.
''I really liked the food. I liked peeling potatoes. It's more details, more about expressing yourself with food.''
Her life came to a crossroads when she asked a colleague whether she should go to chef school or spend ''years and years'' in a kitchen and he said go to school.
''That's when everything changed.
''I had actually told my mother I wanted to go to Otago Polytechnic to be a chef but she said 'No, you've got to have a degree, you can't be a chef'. So I went the whole round circle.''
She began cooking dumplings for friends and kept on getting requests for the recipes so decided to take it further.
''I remember texting my mother asking for recipes. I was a chef and feeding chefs.''
Hitting the market for the first time with her dumpling trolley after 17 hours of making dumplings was an experience, she said. She started off hand-making dough with two pasta machines.
''My legs were Jell-O. My first market I just hoped people would eat them. I had no idea what was going on, about pricing. I sold out in two hours. It's been craziness from there.''
The demand meant she had to hire a commercial kitchen from Martin Bosley and realised she needed help.
''It's been a crazy journey.''
She started out with two pasta machines, hand-making the dough, and has achieved her goal of trying to use as much Wellington regional produce, free range and organic, as possible.
''It was chaos. It's still chaotic now.''
The business moved into new premises in Taranaki St about a year ago, allowing for a tiny shop front and eatery with expanding kitchens out back. She also sells dumplings to supermarkets.
''We've got a lot of plans for out back.''
With a thriving business under her belt, how does her mother feel about the direction she has taken.
''She thinks the dumplings could be better. She has come around. She likes what I do. It is good to have her recognising what I do. It is important.''
Her staff still sell dumplings at Wellington's street and produce markets and also hold classes to pass on the tricks of the trade.
''I'd like to one day sell dumplings in Dunedin.''
For Wellington on a Plate she is holding classes to teach people how to make Italian ravioli, Japanese gyoza and Austrian germknodel.
• The writer travelled courtesy of Positively Wellington Tourism and Visa Wellington on a Plate.
