Published: 3 August 2026
Three Lower Hutt locals will eat their way across the city, trying every local Burger Wellington creation during August.
Burger Wellington is part of Visa Wellington On a Plate, the region’s annual food festival. Diners can visit participating restaurants, try their festival burgers and rate their experiences. Public scores help select five finalists before an independent judging panel chooses the overall winner.
Hutt City Council and HuttValleyNZ found the three inaugural Hutt Burger Explorers through a public expression of interest process. Together, they will visit all 21 participating Lower Hutt venues and share photos, short videos and social media posts.
The Explorers will not rank or formally review the burgers. Their role is to share genuine experiences, celebrate local hospitality and encourage others to discover new places across the city. They are:
- Jordana Zhu – see her video here, social handle Welly Brunch
- Daisy Heremaia – see her video here, social handle daaaze_
- Kaleb Krause – see his video here, social handle viewswhileriding
Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban says the campaign brings this year’s Word of Mouth festival theme to life.
“Lower Hutt has a creative and diverse food scene, supported by hardworking local businesses and people who are passionate about what they serve.
“These three locals will help tell those stories in a fun and authentic way. We hope their experiences encourage residents and visitors to try somewhere new, support our hospitality businesses and see more of what Lower Hutt has to offer.”
Hutt Burger Explorer Daisy Heremaia says the challenge is a chance to explore the city one burger at a time.
“With three Hutt Burger Explorers, we are splitting the 21 burgers into seven each. In saying that, I aim to eat over 20 burgers. I’m extremely excited and may even turn into a burger by the end of it all,” she joked.
The Explorers will post through their own social media channels, with HuttValleyNZ sharing and promoting their experiences. Council will also publish weekly round-ups highlighting burgers, venues and stories from across Lower Hutt.
Visa Wellington On a Plate Festival Director Beth Brash says it's great to see the growth of Lower Hutt eateries getting involved with this year's competition.
"This is a huge year for Burger Wellington, which has such a strong community following across the region, so we're excited to see the buzz happening across Lower Hutt with over 20 burgers for people to get stuck into.
"With the Burger Scholar himself, George Motz, as this year's head judge, getting out to rate your favourite burger in the region is more important than ever for their chances to reach that all-important cook off.”
Burger Wellington runs throughout August. Visit the Visa Wellington On a Plate website to explore Lower Hutt’s participating venues and plan your own burger journey.