Gadoochi Brewing is what happens when creativity, hard graft, and a love for the craft come together. It all started in a small Roxburgh orchard, where Chris and Nicola found themselves with more apples than they could handle. Rather than let them go to waste – or drown them in sugar like so many store-bought ciders – they let nature do the work. The result was Gadoochi Cider, made with nothing but fruit and yeast, fermented with precision and cooled at just the right moments to lock in its signature super-dry finish. It was such a hit that they doubled down, purchasing and renovating a 100-year-old Invercargill bank, turning it into a café, bar, and a state-of-the-art brewery where their cider and beer could truly shine.
The beer brewing side of Gadoochi has come a long way since Chris’s first experiment in the ‘80s, when he made a batch in an old washing machine barrel. These days, the gravity-fed 300-litre brewery at Tuatara café and bar is a masterpiece of engineering, pumping out everything from bold IPAs to smooth porters, crisp pilsners, and hazy brews packed with locally grown hops. Nicola, an artist at heart, has infused Gadoochi with the same creativity that defines her paintings, shaping everything from the brand’s look to the atmosphere of their brew bar. Every pour is as much about craft as it is about character – bold, original, and unmistakably theirs.
Head to the Tuatara Cafe for an evening of live music, quirky art and delicious beers.
Brit MacDonald | Flour Bro
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… Read More
Cam Davies | The Fat Duck, Te Anau
Cam Davies is a head-down, lamb-in-the-oven, let-the-food-speak type. He is the executive chef and co-owner of The Fat Duck in Te Anau, and this year, the restaurant was named Supreme Winner at the 2025 New… Read More
Rob and Toni Auld | Auld Distillery
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… Read More
Bill and Sue French | Leeland’s Lamb
Bill French has been farming since before he could remember. “I’ve been on the land since I could walk,” he says. “It’s in the blood, I couldn’t do anything… Read More
David and Kathy Wilson | Wilson’s Vege Stall
There’s a giant swede grinning at you, along the state highway headed south from Queenstown - just out of Winton. That’s Wilson’s Vege Stall, and if you’re even halfway curious… Read More
Chris Ellenden and Nicola McGilvray | Gadoochi Brewing
Gadoochi Brewing is what happens when creativity, hard graft, and a love for the craft come together. It all started in a small Roxburgh orchard, where Chris and Nicola found themselves with more apples than… Read More
Steph Blair | Tangata Tiaki
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… Read More
Brit MacDonald | Flour Bro
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… Read More
Cam Davies | The Fat Duck, Te Anau
Cam Davies is a head-down, lamb-in-the-oven, let-the-food-speak type. He is the executive chef and co-owner of The Fat Duck in Te Anau, and this year, the restaurant was named Supreme Winner at the 2025 New… Read More
Rob and Toni Auld | Auld Distillery
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… Read More
Bill and Sue French | Leeland’s Lamb
Bill French has been farming since before he could remember. “I’ve been on the land since I could walk,” he says. “It’s in the blood, I couldn’t do anything… Read More
David and Kathy Wilson | Wilson’s Vege Stall
There’s a giant swede grinning at you, along the state highway headed south from Queenstown - just out of Winton. That’s Wilson’s Vege Stall, and if you’re even halfway curious… Read More
Chris Ellenden and Nicola McGilvray | Gadoochi Brewing
Gadoochi Brewing is what happens when creativity, hard graft, and a love for the craft come together. It all started in a small Roxburgh orchard, where Chris and Nicola found themselves with more apples than… Read More
Steph Blair | Tangata Tiaki
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… Read More