Eat Streat stretches a meal for charity

Alison King | 10th March 2010

Rotorua's Eat Streat will host the city's longest dinner party but diners won't know what's on the menu until they get there.

Rotorua Community Hospice Trust has joined forces with the central dining zone to host the Longest Pot Luck Dinner on Saturday, March 27.

The dinner is restricted to 200 diners who will sit together at a table stretching along Eat Streat.

Ten restaurants are taking part on the night but the street is still open to regular Saturday night diners.

"I'll be working that night but if I was dining I'd be happy with everything," hospice trust chief executive Jill Wilkinson-Fuller said.

"Being part of Earth Hour is really exciting."

Earth Hour is a worldwide climate awareness event. Cities and towns across the world mark it by turning off their lights for an hour.

At 8.30pm the lights will go out on Eat Streat and diners will eat by candlelight.

There will also be entertainment, dancing and raffles. "We want to celebrate life and have a really fun atmosphere," Ms Wilkinson-Fuller said.

"Hospice needs to raise around $300,000 from the community and we want to be pro-active. We want to work with businesses but we appreciate they can't give us things for free.

A special liquor licence has been approved by Rotorua District Council to allow those diners to be served alcohol outside the usual Eat Streat dining zones.

All profits from the night will go to Rotorua Community Hospice Trust. As well as providing the venue, Eat Streat is giving away two tickets to a hospice family to allow them to be involved in the night.

Restaurants taking part are Nuvolari, Indian Star, Wild Rice, Mac's Steaks, Ambrosia, Lewishams, Freos, Cafe Ephesus, Solace and Triple 1 Five. Arawa Fine Wines is also involved with the night.

Each ticket is $100 and includes a two-course meal and table wine.

Tickets are available from Mackenzie Fashions, House of Travel and Arawa Fine Wines.