11 of the best ciders made in New Zealand

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More New Zealanders are electing cider as their tipple of choice, experimenting with new styles and ciders made from different fruits.

Since 2010, cider and perry* have been recognised as categories in their own right at the annual Beer Awards held by the Brewers Guild of New Zealand.

* While cider is made mainly from apple but also other fruits including pears, perry can be made using only one variety of pear (the perry).

Here are some award-winning ciders worth looking for.

6 of the best ciders in New Zealand

Cidre Demi-Sec

Winner, Best Cider at the 2016 Beer Awards

Zeffer Cider Co.

Simply Apple Cider

Winner, Best Cider at the 2015 Beer Awards

Forbidden Brewing Company

Slack ma Girdle Cider

Gold Medal awarded at the 2014 Beer Awards

Zeffer Cider Co.

Drop Hop Cider

Winner, Best Cider at the 2013 Beer Awards

Good George Brewing

Camla Farm Cider

Winner, Best Cider at the 2011 Beer Awards

Camla Farm

Bulmer Harvest Cider

Winner, Best Cider at the 2010 Beer Awards

Foster’s NZ

5 of the best fruit or flavoured ciders in New Zealand

Apple Crumble Cider

Winner, Best Fruit or Flavoured Cider at the 2016 Beer Awards

Zeffer Cider Co.

Isaac’s Berry Cider

Winner, Best Fruit or Flavoured Cider at the 2015 Beer Awards

Lion

Old Mout Cider – Feijoa & Cider

Gold Medal awarded at the 2014 Beer Awards

Redwood Cider Co.

Harvest Pear Cider 

Winner at the 2012 Beer Awards

Bulmer Harvest

Bulmers Original Pear Cider (Perry)

Winner at the 2010 Beer Awards

Bummer Harvest

Source: Brewersguild.org.nz

New Zealand’s award-winning beers  Ι  The best 20 beers brewed in New Zealand

Best ski chalets in New Zealand

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Visitors to Central Otago’s stunning ski slopes have plenty of choices when it comes to chalet-style accommodation. 

The best have been named in the annual World Ski Awards with Queenstown’s Azur Luxury Lodge taking the title of Best Ski Chalets in New Zealand for three of the past four years.

The World Ski Awards are the ‘Oscars’ of the global ski industry.

Top choice

Azur Luxury Lodge

23 McKinnon Terrace, Queenstown, Central Otago

Other nominees (not in order)

Apartments at Cardrona Alpine Resort

Cardrona Alpine Resort, between Queenstown & Wanaka, Central Otago

Distinction Wanaka Serviced Apartments

144-154 Anderson Rd, Wanaka, Central Otago

Porters Alpine Lodge

State Highway 73, Porters Pass, Springfield, Canterbury

Riverrun

86 Halliday Rd, Wanaka, Central Otago

Wanaka Villas

Wanaka, Central Otago

Whare Kea Lodge & Chalet

494 Mount Aspiring Rd, Wanaka, Central Otago 

Past winners

2016: Azur Luxury Lodge

2015: Riverrun

2014: Azur Luxury Lodge

2013: Azur Luxury Lodge

Source: World Ski Awards

The best ski resorts in New Zealand  Ι  The best ski hotels in New Zealand  Ι  The best boutique ski hotels in New Zealand

Best sausages in the South Island

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They call them bangers, snarlers and barbeque fodder but some butchers are taking New Zealand sausages to new culinary heights.

The best butchers plan and experiment for months before entering the annual Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition in the hope of landing the title for the country’s best sausage.

More than 450 butchers enter the awards which began in 1994. Here are the results of the 2016 competition.

The best sausages in the South Island

People’s Choice Award

Pork & Tasmanian Apple Cider

New World Rolleston, Christchurch

Gold Medals

Beef

Old English Beef

Harris Meats, Cheviot

Pork

Country Pork

PAK’nSAVE Riccarton, Christchurch

Pre-cooked

Pork, Lemon & Parsley

Peter Timbs Meats, Christchurch

Continental ready-to-eat

The Naked Banger, Pepperoni Bierstick

Ashby’s Butchery, Sydenham, Christchurch

Traditional flavour

Free Farmed Pork ‘n’ Fennel

New World Rangiora, Canterbury

Gourmet pork

Pork & Tasmanian Apple Cider

New World, Rolleston, Christchurch

Pork, Jalapeno & Cheese

Peter Timbs Meats, Christchurch

Gourmet varietal

Wild Venison & Black Plum

Peter Timbs Meats, Christchurch

Silver Medals

Beef

Old English Beef

PAK’nSAVE Riccarton, Christchurch

Traditional Beef

PAK’nSAVE Moorhouse, Sydenham, Christchurch

Boerewors

Raeward Fresh, Richmond

Traditional flavour

Free Farmed Pork & Bacon

Drycreekmeats, Methven

Gourmet beef

Bacon, Cheese & Tomato

PAK’nSAVE Riccarton, Christchurch

Creamy Blue Cheese & Beef

New World Bishopdale, Christchurch

Bronze medallists

Flavoured

Pork Flavoured

Countdown (National)

Pre-cooked

Original Cocktails

Hellers (National)

Continental ready-to-eat

Portuguese

Peter Timbs Meats, Christchurch

Black pudding/rounds category

Black Pudding

Fraser Park Butchery, Timaru

Burger’s Butchery, Timaru

Gourmet pork

Premium Pork & Mustard

PAK’nSAVE Rangiora, Rangiora, Canterbury

Source: Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition

The best sausages in the North Island

Best fish and chips on Auckland’s North Shore

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Fish and chip lovers on Auckland’s North Shore have been well served for many years, with a host of award-winning fish and chip shops, including a national champion.

To help identify the best fish and chips in New Zealand, we’ve drawn on many sources including which fryers have taken awards at the national Best Chip Shop competitions. These awards have run since 2006 and are a useful guide to identifying the best in the country and in each region.

Our guide to the best fish and chips on Auckland’s North Shore includes the following recommendations:

Top choice

Oceanz Seafood Silverdale

Corner Hibiscus Coast Highway/East Coast Rd, Silverdale, North Shore, Auckland

Oceanz Seafood Silverdale won the national title in 2009 and under new management, took the regional titles in 2011 and 2013, and scooped the top national honours in 2013. The shop is easy to find on the main highway from the Silverdale turn-off of State Highway 1, about 45 minutes north of central Auckland. It’s part of a chain of Oceanz-branded fish and chip shops in Auckland, all sourcing their fish through the city’s fresh fish market.

Next best (not in order)

Ivan’s Takeaways

575 Glenfield Rd, Glenfield

Highly commended in the 2013 Best Chip Shop awards and a joint regional winner in 2011.

Oceanz Seafood Albany

50 Greville Rd, Albany

Multiple award winner, achieving a highly commended status in 2013, a joint regional winner in 2011 and a regional finalist in 2010, 2008 and 2007. Another member of the Oceanz chain.

Kippers

292 Hibiscus Coast Highway, Orewa

Highly commended in 2013 and 2011, and a regional finalist in 2010.

Northcross Takeaway

4/178 Carlisle Road, Browns Bay

Highly commended in 2013 and a regional finalist in 2010.

Our guide to the best fish and chip shops in New Zealand

Northland & Far North Ι Auckland’s North Shore Ι Auckland Ι Waikato Ι Coromandel Ι Tauranga Ι Rotorua Ι Taupo Ι Hawkes Bay Ι Manawatu Ι Taranaki Ι Wellington Ι Nelson Ι Blenheim Ι Christchurch Ι South Canterbury Ι Otago Ι Southland

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