Food

Eat your way around the beautiful Wairarapa region - full of small, award-winning food producers who love visitors. Here are some of our favourites:

Drink!

• Martinborough has more than 20 wineries for wine tastings, most within easy walking or cycling distance of the village square with food on offer as well. If you're unsure where to start take a look at our handy pointers here. You can also hire a bike or take a tour and cycle the vines!
• Visit Wairarapa breweries to try a locally brewed and tasty pint. Each one offers something different from Tui Brewery in Mangatainoka to Martinborough Brewery in Martinborough.
• Lighthouse Gin, inspired by spectacular Cape Palliser contains a unique blend of nine botanicals and water that travels from a spring high in the Remutaka Ranges. Visit them at The Runholder.
• Reid+Reid craft distillery in Martinborough was founded by brothers who foraged the landscape for aromatic native plants to make their quintessential New Zealand Reid+Reid Native Gin.

Cafes and Restaurants

• Martinborough offers many choices for eating - indoors or al fresco. Dine at a vineyard restaurant, stroll through the village and take your pick of cafes, or eat at the many cellar doors in the region.
• Eating in Greytown is a treat with the town's fabulous restaurants and cafes and great coffee set amongst some of the best boutique shopping in the region.
• Masterton has plenty of options too - eat at a resort, by an art gallery, in the little Kuripuni Village or right on the main street of town. There are plenty of restaurants that can fill up the family!
• Featherston is a natural rest stop before crossing the Remutakas. Enjoy a break at one of the many cafes along the main road. Try Wharekauhau Country Estate for a special occasion or make the scenic drive to Lake Ferry Hotel for the best fish and chips!
• Carterton has a unique blend of culture and ethnicity offering great food from across the world including Turkish, Indian and pizza, most located within walking distance of each other. Be sure to visit Aunt Ginger's Kitchen for exquisite cakes and macarons.
• Take an easy 15 minute drive south of Riversdale to Homewood Storeroom for a taste of rural hospitality combined with good food and local produce.

Artisan Food

• C'est Cheese in Featherston is a must visit - chock-a-block with hand crafted cheese from around the country and the Wairarapa plus a great range of deli treats for your weekend platter creation.
• Wairarapa olive oil is some of the country's best – officially. Try Juno Olives, or Olivo where you can learn how to taste extra virgin olive oil like the professionals on their Tree to Table tour!
• Check out the deli and specialty food shop The Grocer in Martinborough with all the vibe of a traditional grocery store featuring local foods, artisan baking, cheeses, olive oils, honey, organic products, and sweet and savoury treats.
• Visit Greytown Honey's bespoke Honey Stables in Featherston for factory tours, award winning honey tasting, and all things bees.

Chocolate and Bakeries

• Schoc Chocolates in Greytown creates beautiful hand-crafted and deliciously smooth chocolate from fairly-sourced beans with over 85 flavours to choose from - we recommend you try lime and chilli or sea salt for starters.
• Multi award winning Ten O'clock Cookie Café, a bakery and cafe in Masterton sure know how to make a delicious pastry treat.
• Aunt Ginger's Kitchen in Carterton serve delicious savoury and sweet food including exquisite cakes, macarons and confectionery, all expertly handmade with a focus on high quality, fresh, local ingredients.

Farmers Markets

• Wairarapa Farmers' Market - local fresh fruit and veg, bread, cheese, eggs, honey, olive oil, sausages, excellent coffee and much more every Saturday 9am-1pm under the historic grandstand at the Solway Showgrounds. 
• Carterton Farmers Market - locally grown, fresh fruit and veg, Wairarapa olive oils, honey on Sunday 9am-12.30pm in Memorial Square.
• The Greytown Country Market - coffee, food, music, award winning sausages plus a range of home, garden and local artisan products every third Sunday during summer 10am-2pm at Stella Bull Park.
• Featherston Weekly Market - fresh produce from fine food producers and creators and much more with a great atmosphere, amazing food and community spirit every Saturday 8am at the back of the Lang's Pharmacy carpark.

Food Trucks

• Social Chef - a range of tasty food from bugers to tacos and a great place to chill out in Martinborough.
• Gnocchi Brother's - specalise in scrumptious Italian food like gnocchi at Schubert Wines Friday to Sunday. 
• Korky's Catering - mouth-watering food from Kiwiburgers to deep fried Oreos. Choose them for your next event!
• The Iki Sushi Burrito - try Sushi Burrito where Mexican burrito meets Japanese sushi.
• Ruby Lane Kai Cart - available for markets, fairs, sporting events, private functions, weddings and more.

Cooking Experiences

• Experience a local, social cooking class at your place whatever the occasion with Social Kitchen Wairarapa!

The Classic New Zealand Wine Trail
If you want to discover New Zealand's best wine and food experiences then the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail is for you.

It's is a self-drive touring route connecting three wine producing regions between Hawke's Bay and Wellington that also takes you to breweries, gin distilleries, farmer's markets, olive groves, chocolate stores, bakeries and great restaurants.

Taste your way along the signposted trail (watch for the grapes) as you travel from Hawke's Bay down to Marlborough (or vice versa). At the very heart of the trail Wairarapa is home to Martinborough wine village, Gladstone and the vineyards of upper Masterton - stop in and get a taste of our towns!

Learn more about the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail here.   Look good? Here's how to get here and lots of options for places to stay.