IMAGINE A UNIQUE dining experience that begins with a vintage steamship cruise across the waters of Whakatipu-wai-Māori/Lake Wakatipu. Your journey begins in Queenstown as you’re welcomed aboard the historic and lovingly preserved TSS Earnslaw, which sets the stage for this unforgettable experience. As you step off the boat the fresh alpine air brings the scent of herbs from the homestead’s kitchen garden. The Walter Peak Homestead retains its original charm, yet you will see firsthand that this is still very much a working farm, alive with the daily rhythms of planting, harvesting and caring for its animals – all crucial elements when it comes to the most important part of your Walter Peak adventure: your meal. However, this is not just lunch or dinner. This is an opportunity for hands-on exploration of sustainable food production, where you can literally feel and taste the results. The farm’s expert gardeners will guide you through their thriving orchards, edible gardens and tunnel houses that create the perfect conditions for growing ingredients with maximum flavour. You’ll be picking and tasting as you wander, including savouring the prized honey from beehives in the paddock, made by bees from the surrounding mountain flora. You may even plant your own native seedling.

The minute you step into your final destination – the potting shed – you’ll see that your meal is set to tell a story of true local flavour. Fruits and vegetables don’t come any fresher than these, harvested straight from the kitchen garden that you’ve just explored and served alongside house-made preserves, pickles, chutneys and freshly baked bread. Seasonal ingredients are always key, for example elderberries are harvested in late summer and peppered throughout generous sharing platters, adding depth to dressings and desserts and elevating regional flavours as the dishes unfold. Crispy fritters paired with a house-made horopito pepper mayo are made from home-grown vegetable heroes. There will be artisanal cheeses, crudités, scones and an ever-changing selection of sweet treats that may include dark chocolate, honey and almond florentines, made with honey from the farm. This is food shaped by place, by the people who grow and cook it and by the rhythm of the high country. It’s a shared feast that connects you directly to the land you’ve just explored. Will Eaglesfield, the curator behind all of this magic, now calls Walter Peak home, having traded his ski poles for kitchen knives after moving to New Zealand. As executive chef he emphasises the importance of home-grown, ethical and local sourcing. “From the kitchen, I can point to exactly where the food comes from. It’s a rare opportunity for a chef to be this close to the ingredients on the menu.” He is dedicated to pairing these ingredients with products from trusted local suppliers who value their land and their animals as muchas they value great flavour. When it comes to this dining experience, Will insists on an  underlying food philosophy that carries from his kitchen to the table. “Here at Walter Peak everything must be ethically sourced with a duty of care, connecting our menu with not only our harvest from our land, but our relationships with the local community.” All of this combines to make Walter Peak so much more than just a picturesque dining spot, taking you into the heart of its people and allowing you to see, taste and engage with them as they immerse you in their story and their connection to Queenstown’s pioneering past.

With outstanding local and home-grown flavours within a unique location, we know that you will love the unforgettable tastes of this experience, so add Walter Peak Garden To Table Experience to your bucket-list gourmet adventures. Find out more at realnz.com/garden-to-table