Each year we come up with a new festival theme that inspires participating chefs who like to have inspiration when coming up with a new burger each year. This year’s theme is ‘Play with your Food’ and it could not be more perfect for this year. I think we all need a bit of joy and fun in our lives at the moment and it ties into the true essence of great hospitality - it brings us all so much joy and fun. 

Here are a few highlight burgers who have really leaned into the festival theme with some playful interpretations.

Play on Words

The Featherston City Tavern - It's a Burger, Wellington

We only allow an entry that isn’t “between two buns” if it is on theme, and this one I couldn’t say no to! This is a perfect play on words - “It’s a Burger, Wellington” …Geddit!? Also a masterclass in grammar and how a comma can change the meaning entirely. Top of the class! Beef, cheese and pickle patty with Woody's streaky bacon, Swiss cheese and honey mustard dressing encased in pastry, with mash potato and gravy. ($26)

Artisan at Bolton Hotel - Crowd Sauced

Another great play on words! We don’t know what this burger is just yet as it will be decided by those lucky enough to go to the ‘Build a Burger’ Event, based on the most popular ingredients at the event and a possible 84,000 combinations. ($29)

Hands On

Time to get hands on and maybe a little messy. These burgers have you concocting potions, or releasing your inner artist.

Zephyr Cafe - A Frankenstein Adventure

Spiced fried chicken with lettuce, cucumber, Olivo infused sambal, and Mighty Greens micro greens in a pandan coconut sesame bun, with coconut and butterfly pea flower rice crisps

This burger is inspired by Victor Frankenstein and his green monster creation. Create your own science experiment as you concoct your own aioli, reassemble your burger in your own vision and bring your Frankenstein to life. ($33)

Vivant! - Colour my Bun

Beef patty with caramelised black pepper onions, cabbage and shallow slaw, beetroot aioli, and ketchup in a burger bao bun, with fries and colourful oil pipettes.

Be your own Picasso, design and flavour your bun the way you like it with the coloured oils. ($19)

The Bridge - Dip, Dip, Hurray

Grilled sirloin steak with melted cheddar, pesto, lightly pickled vegetables, and crispy onion rings in a Brezelmania bun, with skin on fries and a palette of three colourful dipping sauces -  mustard sauce, ketchup and glitter gravy. ($29)

Portlander Bar and Grill - The Paintbrush Porker

Slow-cooked BBQ pulled pork, with tangy apple relish, Valley Greens watercress, mustard mayonnaise, and pork crackling in an Arobake brioche bun, with Agria fries. 

Paint the bun yourself with the three coloured sauces provided. ($30)

Tic Tac Toe Burgers

We didn’t have one, but THREE tic tac toe burgers, much like the game, if you do all three you’re a winner in my books.

Crab Shack - Tic Tac Toe 3 in a Row

Three burgers served in an Arobake milk bun, with cheese and onion X rosti

Burger 1: Beef patty with Pickle & Pie bread and butter pickles and aged cheddar

Burger 2: Slow braised beef brisket with three pepper gravy and Dijon slaw

Burger 3: Bulgogi sirloin steak with sesame, charred onions, and gochujang mayo. ($64)

Mexico Petone - Battle of the Buns

Three Mexican sliders, all served in a milk bun with fries

Birria Boss - Braised beef birria with Zany Zeus queso sauce, crispy tostadas, escabeche onions, pineapple pico de gallo, and chipotle mayo

Spicy Mama Chick’n Cheese - Mexican fried chicken with habanero cheddar, jalapeño slaw, pico de gallo, and coriander

Vege Power - chickpea and dorito empanada, green chilli, citrus onion, avocado, jalapeño slaw, and a corn, lime, and coriander salsa. ($27)

Hideout - Tic Tac Tasty

Korean chicken with bacon, Asian slaw, kimchi, and Korean BBQ sauce in a Dough Bakery sesame brioche, with potato skin fries. ($28)

Other games

It’s not just Tic Tac Toe that you can play with your burgers this year, we’ve got everything from Pass the Pigs and Go Fish to Snakes & Ladders and Jenga!

Toto - A Little Piggy

Ground Kurobuta pork jowl patty with Harrington’s baconnaise, sweet and sour pickles, and Provolone cheese in an Acme olive oil bun.

Play Pass the Pigs as you order for a chance to win free coffee, burgers or a $100 voucher. ($18)

Dockside - Go Fish

Tempura battered nori wrapped holi fillet, Elysian taramasalata, house made tarragon tartare, baby gem lettuce, and sesame wakame slaw in an Arobake potato bun.

Match your card with the Go Fish card of the day and win your burger for free. ($29)

Jack Hackett’s - Lock Stock & Smoking Brisket

Guinness braised beef brisket, pickled red cabbage, cos lettuce, pickles, Kapiti smoked cheddar, mozzarella, and smoky bourbon sauce in a Brezelmania sesame bun, with paprika fries. 

Upon ordering you’ll be given a riddle to solve. The answer holds the key to your burger (literally!). ($20)

Jardin Grill - Snakes & Ladder

Burger (Player) 1: Pork, cider and chilli patty, Baxter's Dragon Breath hot sauce, Pickle & Pie pickles, bacon jam, dijonnaise, smoked cheese, cos lettuce, and tomato in a Dough Bakery milk bun

Burger (Player) 2: Sesame fried buttermilk chicken, pickled vegetables, cos lettuce, tomato, makrut mayonnaise, and Fix & Fogg satay sauce in a Dough Bakery brioche bun

Play a game of Snakes & Ladders and the winner of the game gets complimentary fries. ($70)

Karahui Wine Bar & Eatery - Ace of Hearts

Lamb heart patty with lamb heart jerky, C’est Cheese manuka smoked Havarti, beetroot and onion pickle, thyme and garlic aioli and Rebel Gardens baby cress in a Clareville Bakery brioche bun, with jacket fries. 

Play the Ace of Hearts game to win complimentary tasting and free accommodation. ($28)

The Library - Jenga Jelly Tip

Raspberry, dark chocolate and vanilla Jelly Tip Jenga blocks with run not-raisin sauce in a Dough Bakery brioche bun.
Stack your own jenga pieces to see how high you can go. ($27)

Burger Liquor - The Lucky Dip

Smashed beef patty with melted cheddar, pulled beef birria, onion, sambal pickles, and red pepper umami mayonnaise in a Brezelmania French bun, with a ‘lucky dip’ of either birria beef broth, queso or beef gravy. 

Jump on the special Burger Liquor WOAP website and spin the virtual wheel to see which dips you’ll get to enjoy with your burger. Every burger goes into the 'lucky dip' for burgers for a year at Burger Liquor. ($25)