Taste of Clutha

The Blue Mountain Butchery make a delicious array of salamis, bacon (without the water), pastrami and sausages. It is a labour of love for Vaughn and Shelley, the owners. They make everything on site with the best quality local lamb, pork and beef. If you can't make it to Tapanui, you can now find them at the Dunedin Farmer's Market, or buy online from their website.

Sue and Mike have created a foodie paradise at their 'Garden Gate' roadside honesty stall in Tapanui. All produce is organically grown, with no sprays or chemicals used. Seasonal produce includes; soft fruit and variety of berries, as well as a vast array of vegetables. You can buy a range of homemade jams, chutneys and pickles, alongside herbs and other plants, cut flowers and free range eggs.

Since 1997 Jim and Sue have been taking classic favourites and giving them a modern twist. They have created a range of artisan sauces, syrups, jams & jellies, chutneys and relishes, conserves and marmalade from local ingredients. You can buy them online, or if you are travelling in the Otago region, come into The Wild Walnut Cafe in Lawrence. 

This wonderful old fashioned market garden and orchard is a labour of love for Barbara and Steve Kerr, who spent 10 years changing a forgotten paddock into a haven of produce. You can buy vegetables and herbs from November to December. They re-open in January with an abundance of heritage plums, pears and apples. Tomatoes and potatoes are sold directly from the gate until May.

We have an abundance of fragrant elderflower in the Otago region, and Jo and her husband Ben make sure it doesn’t go to waste. They harvest the flowers in late October with the cordial ready to go in November. They produce 1000 bottles a season, when it’s gone it’s gone, with everything usually sold by the start of April. Look out for the Canadian flag!

Pam uses traditional family recipes to bring you a true taste of Clutha with her homestyle jams, sauces and preserves. Preserves are made from Otago grown fruits & vegetables. She started out at Milton’s Farmer’s Market, and now has her very own shop near Lake Waihola which is open Sundays. You can also email through your orders through their website.

Fantastic fresh fish from the boats at nearby Taieri Mouth. Judy set up this wonderful wee shop 15 years ago to make sure locals could experience the local fish. They sell that southern stalwart blue cod, with some calling it the best fish and chips. Located at New Zealand’s most inland tidal lake, it's the perfect dinner spot.

Allen and Maria, producers and distributors of premium quality creamed clover and bush blend honey, have been making honey since the 1970’s. It may be right on the main road, but this hidden gem is the place to get wonderful local honey from an honesty stall - look out for the “HONEY” sign.

It's milk just like you used to get in the old days, “glass bottled, pasteurised and full cream” fresh from Windy Ridge Farm in Benhar near Balclutha. Andrew Moir and his two sons started milking back in 2014, and have never looked back. These bottles are available throughout Otago.

In less than a year a few raised beds became 28 plots & 2 tunnel houses, with a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruit thanks to some community spirit. Local businesses, farms, schools and charities have all helped turn it into a reality. Locals work away to give us this goodness and you are welcome to pick your own when they are there or on Saturday mornings from 10am-12pm. Look out for the big yellow “Open” sign. Closed May - September.

Award Winning Agreeable Nature Pasture Free Range Eggs Outstanding Food Producers awards 2018 Silver Medal, 2019 Outstanding Sustainability. Winners 2017 New Zealand Farmers Market Eggs. Produced from mobile hen houses with no fences, a regenerative farming system focused on human health, producing nutrient dense food for maximum flavour! Sold fresh at farm gate, in local supermarkets in Balclutha, Milton, Clinton. The farm was featured on Hyundai Country Calendar 01/03/20. Visit the Otago Farmers Market to meet the team.

Fonterra Stirling has a small cheese bar for cheese sales. They have been making magic here since 1982 with vintage, colby, cheddar and tasty cheese available for purchase.

The family have been growing sensational potatoes on the wee island known as Inch Clutha since 1852. There are 7 varieties available straight from the packing house with “agria” being the firm favourite.

Since 2014 Norm has been crafting beautiful beer in his garage and bottling it by hand. He makes a core range of beverages and seasonal specials offering a true taste of the South. “We use all New Zealand ingredients to produce a damned fine drop of beer and cider”. You can buy his beers from the Kaka Point Pub, Papatowai store and Liquorland in Balclutha. The Catlins Brewery cellar door is now open by appointment.

Kaka Point Honey is a small apiculture business based in Kaka Point, South Otago. Louise, the main beekeeper produces beautiful clover and kamahi honey. Not only does she produce honey, she also sells bee balm, beeswax and more recently beeswax wraps. You can pick up her honey at the honesty box opposite the surf club, as she says “everything is locally made by the bees and me”.

You know they are nuts about nuts when even their eco-friendly, solar powered home is called Hazelnut House. Roy and Jan Johnstone have a 600 tree orchard and pick and crack the nuts themselves so the magnificent kernels are ready to eat. They also as a hobby have freshwater cray fish ponds and you are more than welcome to arrange a visit!

The best free range eggs in the Catlins and maybe all of Clutha. The Sinclair family farm is just outside Owaka and you will find these little beauties in the honesty stall on the Papatowai Highway next to the concrete egg sculpture. They are also available on the main road in Owaka. Nature at its best!