Gourmet Goldmine
Lauraine Jacobs
Planes carrying visitors into Queenstown almost brush the mountains with their wings as they dip down to the airfield below the magnificent Remarkables range. Not long ago these same planes ferried in much of the hearty fare that fed locals and tourists alike. But now this town, long known as the adventure capital of New Zealand, is awakening to the culinary possibilities within the region.
Where vines grow and great wines are produced there’s usually fine regional food to be found. The harsh climate of Central Otago once limited the perception of the region’s potential, and there seemed little willingness to grow much more than the highly prized apricots and cherries that flourish in the gullies and gorges of the Cromwell area. Locals are now discovering opportunities hardly dreamed of 10 years ago and restaurateurs, café owners and local gourmets with big appetites are hungry for this new wave of regional specialities.
FARE TRADING
Venture around the back of the Junction Building in the heart of Queenstown and a world of fine food and wine emerges. The Mediterranean Market began as a wholesale fruit and vegetable market but when owners Angela and Nathan Imlach noticed locals were turning up, they realised the potential of opening a fresh food store. Angela now caters for the public with an array of terrific produce, meat and fish, as well as gourmet items and imported specialty foods. A stylish café in the store, Squisito, shares space with Jenny Lamond, who bakes and sells her fabulous cakes under the name Cake Adventures.
Peter Waters of Arrowtown restaurant The Postmaster’s House recently seized retail space near the restaurant for a new fresh-food outlet, The Postmaster’s Store. There, with his head chef James Flint, Peter offers a range of seasonal produce, including fish (available when absolutely fresh), vegetables and herbs from Otago and Southland, interesting local meat and game and, in an innovative move, the restaurant chefs are on hand to give menu and cookery advice.
 Across the way in Arrowtown’s main street, the Palmer family has set up an intriguing store. The Remarkable Sweet Shop stocks lollies and sweet treats from around the world. Aniseed balls, pink smokers and Irish moss jubes seem part of an old forgotten food culture. But they’re all here, displayed in glass jars and packed into small bags to take home as gifts. Rich creamy fudge in a variety of fascinating flavours is made on the premises and all the sweets are available online too (see Fact File).
Capitalising on the growing interest in wines of this region, Rick Nelson and Rodney Johnston opened Wine Tastes, an innovative concept in wine tasting and retailing. The advanced technology at the slick purpose-built store in Beach St, in the centre of Queenstown, allows customers to control their own wine-tasting experience. Armed with a smart card, complete with a microprocessor chip, each person chooses from more than 100 wines by pressing a button and a portion is delivered from a state-of-the-art Enomatic wine system. The price is then automatically deducted from the wine card. Food to match the wine can also be bought. Wines are organised by varietal and, while the emphasis is local, a wide range across the price spectrum from around the world is offered.
LAND OF PLENTY
The hills and valleys around Cromwell and Bannockburn and over to Alexandra are the key source of the new produce. At least 50 olive growers are staking their claim, with plantings of more than 15,000 trees producing small batches of big, fruity, grassy olive oils, reminiscent of the Tuscan style... no surprise when the region lies on the 45th parallel, the same distance from the equator as the olive groves of Tuscany.
 Some growers have turned their hand to saffr 
Photography by Aaron McLean
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