Australian Gourmet Traveller - (03)March 2020 (1)

B

enShewry’saffectionforWellington’swineandbrewing

sceneis keenlyfelt.In 2018 heembarkedona collaboration

withtheGarageProjectandAtticatocreateBliss,a craft

brewwithbrandinginspiredbyartistRossMurray’sown’80s

backyardbarbecuememories.ForShewry,Blisswasa greatopportunity

notonlytoinnovatebutalsotoshareGarageProject’spioneering

approachwithAustralians.Callingona rangeofartistsandillustrators,

theProject’sbrewsandwinesareas recognisablefortheirbrandingas

fortheiraward-winningflavours.Theircreators,meanwhile,whowere

amongWellington’soriginalcraftbrewers,stillworkfroma converted

disusedgarageinthehillsidesuburbofTeAro.For

Shewry,GarageProjectis symbolicoftheflushof

taprooms,micro-breweriesanddistilleriesthatare

revolutionisingWellington’sdiningscene.

Freshly

picked

Fromurbanlanewaystothegreenvalleysofthe

Wairarapa,Wellington’sbreweriesanddistilleries

areflushwithinnovationandhistory.

AGourmet Traveller promotion

Parrotdog

JustmetresfromLyallBay,Parrotdogbrewery

is settingnewbenchmarksforWellingtoncraft

brewers– andworthseekingout.Stopinfor

bistrofoodand 15 beersontapordropinto

theNicetakewayshopforcomplimentary

tastingsandtakeaways.parrotdog.co.nz

Lighthouse Gin

SetinthepicturesqueMartinboroughdistrict

(justoveranhour’sdrivefromWellington)is

a tinydistillerywithNewZealand’sfirstfemale

ginmaker,RachelHall,at thehelm.Lighthouse

Ginreflectsboththearea’sentrepreneurialspirit

andHall’shardwork,rightdowntothelocal

YenBenlemonsusedindistilling– which

Hallzestsherself.Tasteit inMartinborough

villageat WineBank.lighthousegin.co.nz

Reid + Reid

BrothersNickandChrisReidhaveperfected

a rangeofginsbasedonnativeNewZealand

botanicals,usingexperiencegainedintheiryears

inthewinemakinggame.Producedina shedon

theirparents’property,it’swellwortha try.Their

vermouthis onitsgametoo.reidandreid.co.nz

Wharekauhau Escape

Thefirstthingthatstrikesyouabout

WharekauhauCountryEstateis the

sheerprivacyandremotelocationof

thePalliserBayproperty.Makeno

mistake,thisis noordinarylodge.

Whileitsunpretentiousstylingand

welcomingstaffmakeyoufeellike

you’restayingat a sprawlingfamily

estate,theserviceandoutstanding

foodandwineconfirmWharekauhau’s

statusasoneofNewZealand’s

outstandingluxurylodges.Executive

ChefMarcSoperteamsupwithlocal

producerstoofferseasonaldelicacies

includingBigGloryBaysalmon,juicy

citrusandevenlocalkelp,anddraws

onthelodge’sownkitchengardenfor

thefreshestasparagus,beetsand

greens.Wharekauhauoffersguestsa

brillianttasteoftheregion’sbountiful

produce.wharekauhau.co.nz

STAY

See more of Ben Shewry’s Wellington trip

at gourmettraveller.com.au

Reid + Reid Gin.

Clockwise from below:

Wharekauhau Country

Estate, a seasonal dish by

Marc Soper, Ben Shewry

in Martinborough.