Review: Fergbaker, Queenstown New Zealand
August is Restaurant Week in New Zealand….so if you are visiting, or happen to be a resident, take advantage. You will LOVE these meat pies. Enjoy my review!
New Zealand is famous for meat pies. You can purchase them everywhere. So, as soon as I arrived in NZ, I began my search for the best meat pies. However, a good friend and Queenstown local told me that Fergbaker was hands down the best place to try an authentic New Zealand meat pie. We were super busy the whole week, enjoying attractions, wine tasting and exploring Queenstown. My meat pie lunch at Fergbaker kept getting pushed back.
Fergbaker Queenstown Meat Pies
My assistant had been corresponding with the manager Tash, arranging a good time for us to visit. Fortunately, my husband Richard and I carved out just enough time to stop by, right before our flight out of Queenstown. Tash was able to meet us there, and she was a total sweetheart. She wanted us to try all the classics and a few of the favorites. That’s a lot of meat pies! So, she packed up a box…a large box.
Fergbaker Queenstown is a standing only and to go eatery situated next to Fergburger, Ferg Bar, and Mrs. Ferg Gelateria. The small bakery is filled with display cases, but there is an outdoor standing bar. It’s quite the social hangout, where many people come for an early lunch, and continue coming well into the early evening. However if you arrive super early (see pix above taken at 9am), fresh baked meat pies are all ready for you, without the crowd.
Fergbaker Meat Pies Review
We had arrived during lunchtime, due to our time constraints, so the whole street was packed with patrons. Since we thought it would be great to also enjoy Lake Wakatipu* one last time we decided to take our box of pies to the waterfront. So, we found a nice spot to sit and began our tasting.
Our meat pie journey began with the Chicken Cheese and Bacon. Omg – this was so tasty. I loved it – the white sauce was amazing and incredibly silky. The chicken was perfectly cooked. It reminded me of the chicken pot pies my mom made when I was a little girl. Sorry Ma, Fergbaker wins this round.
I don’t normally eat venison, but I do adore portobello mushrooms. When I noticed Tash had included a Venison & Portobello Mushroom pie in our box, I had to give it a go. It was delicious. The meaty mushrooms and the venison were slathered in zesty brown sauce, wrapped in a that flaky warm shell. How could you not love it? I don’t want to admit that it was one of my favorites, but it was. Next, I tried a bite of the Prime New Zealand Rump. My bites were getting smaller, as I attempted to sample them all. The meat was hand diced & braised in a caramelized onion and cracked pepper gravy. The melted cheddar cheese with the sautéed onions brought it to a whole new level. The cracked pepper gave the sauce a tiny jolt of spice, adding to the layers of flavor. Maybe this was my favorite?
More Fergbaker meat Pies
The Chili, Beef & Cheese with Sour Cream was another one that I was unsure I would like. I am not a huge fan of chili, but alas, this was spectacular as well. My husband had to fight me off to even taste it, and once again that flakey crust – it was a perfect combination.
Finally, the sausage roll (see pix below) was an extra special addition. Made with both ground shoulder and belly of pork, it had a zesty bite. There was no way we could finish all the food, but we came close. Each selection had its own delicious qualities, and it was hard to stop eating.
Then it was time for dessert…a Fresh Cream Donut. But it was so much more than any donut I have tasted. The cream was exquisite, and the airy puff of the donut…to die for! Neither of us could eat the whole pastry by this point. We took the leftovers and headed to the airport. We happily said “no thanks” to the meals served on the flight this time.
The Ferg Empire
If you happen to be in Queenstown New Zealand, don’t miss the little Ferg empire. The individual businesses are all located in a cluster on Shotover Street – FergBurger, FergBaker Ferg Bar, and Mrs. Ferg Gelateria. Stop into one or all and find out why this business is booming so rapidly. The huge variety of meat pies, fresh baked breads, delectable pastries,
sandwiches, gourmet coffees and teas, smoothies, gelato and other items will have you returning day after day during your stay. Everything they make is top notch, so just order what suits your fancy.
Fergbaker, 40 Shotover St. Queenstown 9300: Find out more about Fergbaker on its website – https://fergbaker.com
CLICK HERE for additional articles about New Zealand; *Or CLICK HERE to read a story about Queenstown. ETG also encourages you to visit New Zealand’s official tourism website – https://www.newzealand.com
