Where can you find the winners of both New Zealand’s best sausage and ice cream? Fancy restaurant, boutique hotel café? Nope, these and other world class foodstuffs call the unassuming Mediterranean Market in Wanaka their home.
Originally the Mediterranean Market, or Med Market as locals call it, was known as a premium restaurant supplier until 2003 when they opened their retail establishment for the general public. Since then, residents have enjoyed ready access to some of the best food found anywhere in New Zealand. Everything is good here, but the Med Market is really known for its meats.
Like most of the food at the Med Market, the butchery specializes in meats locally sourced and of the highest quality. Organic and free range aren’t just buzz words here, they’re how they do business. I wish I had access to a kitchen during my stay in Wanaka, it was hard to walk away from the sausages without being able to try one.
This is a great example of a local travel secret that you’ll never find in any guide book and can only be found by talking with local residents. The Med Market is extremely unassuming, located away from the main tourist drag in what is essentially an industrial park. I would never have found this quirky little place if someone hadn’t told me about it.
It’s so important to put down the guide book sometimes when we travel and instead find people who live in the area to grill for information. They’ll always be able to tell you about the latest and greatest spots that usually stay a well guarded secret intended for locals only.
