Food & Wine
Love food and love to ride?
Then check out the winners of the 2022 Eat Taste Central Awards which are located along the Otago Trails!
About Eat.Taste.Central Awards
Eat.Taste.Central is a month-long event hosted throughout Central Otago where you try exciting new flavours and dishes. Local cafés, restaurants and cellar doors collectively produce a Central Otago Regional Menu and a range of events and experiences that celebrate the produce, people and tastes of the region.
Many of the cafes & restaurants also happen to be located on, or close to, the cycle trails. So, work up an appetite on your bike and enjoyed a well-earned lunch!
For more inspiration check out the World of Flavour website.
Best Main Meal 2022 - Pitches Store, Ophir
Located just off the Otago Central Rail Trail, the historic Pitches Store is a favourite stop for cyclists for lunch and dinner with wonderful accommodation also available on site.
In 2022, the ETA award for the best main meal went to Pitches Store for their Provenance Lamb Loin.
2022 Best Burger or Sandwich - Burger Afloat, Lake Dunstan Trail
An icon of the Lake Dunstan Trail, Coffee & Burger Afloat is a floating cafe and burger bar docked halfway along the trail between the Cromwell Heritage Precinct and Clyde Historic Village. Stop in on your ride and enjoy one of the most remote coffees or burgers you’ll ever have!
For the second year running, Burger Afloat took out the best burger award with their sensations Cardrona Baa Burger.
Best Pie of 2022 - Carrick Winery, Bannockburn
Cyclists on the Lake Dunstan Trail will ride through the vines of Carrick Winery and right past the restaurant itself. With exceptional views and even better cuisine, Carrick is one of the best restaurants located anywhere on the Otago Trails.
Carrick's Rabbit Pithivier wowed the judges to win the 2022 award for best pie.
Premium Plate Award 2022 - The Cloudy Bay Shed
OK, so the Cloudy Bay Shed just outside of Cromwell isn't technically on one of the cycle trails, but the food is just too good to leave off this itinerary of best places to eat, and it's only a 6km ride from Cromwell or a short 5min drive, so close enough!
Nestled amongst the vines and with spectacular views over Lake Dunstan, The Cloudy Bay Shed has been one of the Central Otago's leading providers of fine dining for many years.
In 2022, they won the premium plate category with their exceptional lamb tartare.
Awards for People and Businesses
In addition to award winning food, E.T.C also recognises and awards local people and businesses:
- Front of House: Paula Moore, Buffalo’s American Food Co. Cromwell.
- Young Talent: Ashleigh Cleland, Carrick Winery & Restaurant, Bannockburn.
- Chef / Cook: Harry Bonning-Snook, The Cloudy Bay Shed, Cromwell.
- Highly Commended: Susan Goodwin, Pitches Store, Ophir
- Sustainability & Innovation: Coffee & Burger Afloat, Cromwell