The feijoa is more than just a fruit: it is an iconic symbol of Aotearoa New Zealand life. And for award-winning journalist and nature writer Kate Evans, it has been a personal obsession too.

Her research for Feijoa: A Story of Obsession and Belonging – described by chef Peter Gordon as “a globe trotting, multilayered and intertwined history” – spanned four continents and hundreds of years: from the feijoa’s beginnings in the highlands of southern Brazil and the valleys of Uruguay, through its scientific naming in Berlin, being acclimatised on the French Riviera and failing to make its fortune in California.

The result is a sweeping, global tale about the dance between people, plants and cultures – how we need each other, how we change each other, and the surprising ways certain species make their way into our imaginations, our stomachs, and our hearts.

Join Kate and Peter for an illuminating conversation about this singular exotic fruit over a delicious lunch.