Monteith’s Brewery 

Ben travels to The Brewery in Greymouth to get the low down on the Monteith’s Wild Food Challenge – set to return after an eleven-year hiatus. In May, more than 100 venues across Aotearoa serve up daring dishes featuring the country’s most unexpected and adventurous ingredients, each expertly paired with a Monteith’s brew. 

Participating premises range from viral-urban-takeaway spots to beloved local gastropubs. Each restaurant or bar has created a one-of-a-kind dish that celebrates the wild, the foraged and the unexpected, designed to tempt adventurous palates. 

Ben meets Tom Monk, Monteith’s Brewery head chef (White Swan Hotel in Greytown) and talks through some of the dishes he’ll be creating – using local produce from the West Coast Region. 

Ben & Tom cook some dishes at Cobden beach, taking inspiration and incorporating ingredients from the region / West Coast – Cranberries Westland (Hokitika)  and Blackball Salami Company’s  chorizo both featuring in the dishes.  Each dish is matched with a Monteiths Beer.

Ben cooks venison sweetbreads at Ahi at the end of the episode with a Monteiths Beer match.

Cranberries Westland 

Ben travels to Hokitika to meet Kate Buckley and Kevin MacGregor at their cranberry farm – Cranberries Westland – the only one in New Zealand. The cranberries grow well here because of the West Coast climate and rainfall. 

Ben is fascinated by the cranberries – similar to small crab apples and it’s harvesting time! Kate & Kevin are the only growers of North American cranberries in New Zealand They have approx. 3 acres of the farm planted in cranberries and anticipate next year’s harvest will bring in about 2000 kg of fresh cranberries. Cranberries take around five years to get from planting to full fruiting in the West Coast climate. The most successful variety is the Pilgrim (the Ocean Spray variety) – the real deal.  Cranberries are full of great health benefits. including promoting digestion, decreasing high blood pressure, preventing urinary tract infections while also helping control blood sugar. They are deemed a “superfood”. 

On leaving the farm Kevin gives Ben a hare he caught that morning, Ben can create a hare and cranberry dish.

Blackball Salami Company (Chorizo) 

Ben travels to Blackball Salami Company to meet Phil Russ the butcher and owner. He wants to learn how to make their famous chorizo which will be used in the Paella dish Tom & Ben will cook on the beach. 

Ben learns the art of chorizo making with Phil – from start to finish.