Milford Road Merchant is more than a business for Jen and her partner Fjord, it’s a modern take on the classic general store, built from the ground up with care, curiosity, and a strong connection to place. Located on the main road through Te Anau, the store offers a curated mix of Southland goods:…
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Steph Blair doesn’t just talk about food. She protects it. A Tangata Tiaki (customary fisheries guardian), a Māori food advocate, and a staunch voice for kai in Murihiku, Steph has spent nearly two decades issuing customary fishing authorisations and defending the future of species like pāua and…
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With a rolling pin in hand and her grandfather’s baking tools on the counter, she started baking loaves of sourdough so digestible they could turn even the most gluten-wary into loyal customers. From a few loaves to a Southland staple, FlourBro was born. Brit isn’t a classically trained baker. She’s…
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Brian McGrath and Penny Sonnenberg didn’t move to Orepuki with a café in mind. They started out as possum hunters, tracking through bush across the West Coast and Southland for over a decade as part of the TBfree programme. But a weathered villa overlooking Te Waewae Bay, a few paddocks of pasture…
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Dan Tarrant and his family harvest mānuka honey from one of the most remote places in the country, Ruapuke Island. And while his honey is rare, Dan’s story is even rarer: one of deep connection to whenua, whānau, and the southern seas. Located 23km off the coast of Bluff, Ruapuke is wild, private…
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Out past Otautau, where the skies stretch wide, Auld’s farm at Scott Gap has been growing grain for three generations – all named Rob (which keeps things simple). They’ve worked the land, harvesting wheat, wrangling sheep, raising a family. And now, they make whisky. Really good whisky. Rob and Toni…
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There’s a line outside Fat Bastard Pies most days, rain or shine. By the time the cabinet’s full and the doors open, the locals already know what’s on. And if it’s a long weekend coming up? You’ll see people loading up like they’re the last food on earth. James Owen is the man behind it all, a chef…
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This is the kind of place you might blink and miss – but you really shouldn’t. Out at The Key, not far from Te Anau, Davaar Station has been in the family for generations: a sheep farm, good Romney-Perendales. Out front, sisters Kate and Anna Macdonald are running the kind of set-up that makes you…
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On the main street of Lumsden, halfway between Queenstown and Bluff, is Roasted x Toasted, part café, part roastery, part retail nook, and entirely its own thing. This is the home of ROAR Coffee, roasted on site by Kelly, who you’ll usually find behind the counter, calling out a name or checking a…
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If you’re talking food in Southland, Ethan’s name will pop up. Ethan Flack has built a reputation not just as a brilliant chef but as a voice of substance: someone who brings people around the table and brings producers, growers, and young cooks along with him. He’s Southland through and through:…
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