Meet the Maker at JW Marriott

Overview

Forget your run-of-the-mill Christmas mixer with flat bubbles and the forced wearing of Santa hats. This year, Auckland's JW Marriott is throwing a different kind of festive party.

Every week until Christmas — which, by our calculations, is a mere six weeks away — the luxury hotel will be hosting the Meet the Maker series, inviting guests into the hotel to sample culinary treats from local Kiwi producers. Previous JW Marriott partners include Martinborough-based Lighthouse Gin, Auckland's Urbanaut beers and Mt Difficulty wines.

Guests will have the chance to enjoy live music while tasting their homegrown snacks and tipples, with musicians from the University of Auckland jamming in the hotel's main lobby.

The series also aims to be an educational experience, allowing producers to showcase their products while teaching the tasters how they source, produce and create the goodies. Perhaps one or two of the samples may even inspire a Christmas present for the foodie in your life? We repeat: Christmas is six weeks away.

Meet the Maker will run every Thursday between 5-7pm from November 2 to December 14.