billhastings
Wine with friends
Sam, Emile, Tim & Ben joined Bill and I for family dinner. Some nice wine was drunk.
Bill’s 69th Birthday Dinner @ Jano Bistro
We were lucky enough to be able to celebrate Bill’s 69th birthday with an eight course meal at Jano Bistro, one of Wellington’s three Michelin Star restaurants.
The Menu
Selecting a drink
A Negroni, of course!
First Course - Venison Terrine
Second Course - BBQ Brussel Sprouts, Walnut, Lemon, Toasted Yeast
Third Course - Lewis Farm Asparagus, Pistachio, Garlic, Mint
Fourth Course - Line-Caught Fish (Kingfish), Mills Bay Mussel, Broccolini, Grapes
Fifth Course - Conscious Valley Lamb, Smoked Eel, Cauliflower, Hazelnut, Prune
Sixth Course - Soft Meringue, Mandarin, Honey, Ginger, Kawakawa
Seventh Course - Whittakers Chocolate, Raspberry, Pear, Oat, Hojicha
Eighth Course - Chocolate Coated Ganache & Raspberry, Hokey Pokey
Book Critic (RNZ Afternoons)
Bill Hastings joins Jesse Mulligan to review three books:
- Margaret Atwood, Book of Lives, A Memoir of Sorts (Chatto & Windus, 2025)
- Nigel Latta, Lessons on Living (Harper Collins, 2025)
- Erik Kennedy, Sick Power Trip (VUW Press, 2025)
RNZ Afternoons - Book Critic 2:20pm 3 February 2025
Supra Restaurant dinner with Bill
Glorious meal of snapper carpaccio (with persimmon); chickpea fritter (with enoki mushrooms & olive); zucchini (with crushed pea & pumpkin seed sauce); and pumpkin gnocchi (with sage butter, black vinegar, and hazelnuts).
#billhastings #dinner #delicious
Supra Restaurant dinner with Bill
Glorious meal of snapper carpaccio (with persimmon); chickpea fritter (with enoki mushrooms & olive); zucchini (with crushed pea & pumpkin seed sauce); and pumpkin gnocchi (with sage butter, black vinegar, and hazelnuts).
#billhastings #dinner #delicious
Birthday book haul
Thanks to Mum, Dad, and Bill for the Unity Books vouchers 🥰
- Atlas of the New Zealand Wars (Vol I) (Derek Leask, 2025)
- The Monastic World: A Thousand Year History (Andrew Jotischky, 2025)
- The Revelation of Ireland: 1995-2020 (Diarmaid Ferriter, 2024)
- Bodies of Men (Nigel Featherston, 2019)
- Patria: Lost Countries of South America (Laurence Blair, 2024)
Dins with Dins Birthday Dinner
Sensational birthday dinner at @lashoppe_nz by @dinswithdins
One of the best, most delicious and enjoyable meals of my life.
Thank you to Bill for organising, Sam, Dan and Duane for joining us, and Sam Dinsdale for a magical experience.
Menu in the last picture.
Bill Hastings: Book Critic
Bill casts his eye over two books he recommends for good reading. The books discussed are: Orbital by Samantha Harvey and Ted Lasso and Philosophy.
