Top 50 New Zealand Gastropubs awards: The Keg Room Hamilton receives accolade

Hamilton’s The Keg Room has been named the central North Island’s best gastropub.

The establishment received the accolade at the inaugural Estrella Damm Top 50 New Zealand Gastropubs awards in Auckland on Wednesday.

A gastropub was a pub that serves food of a similar quality to a restaurant.

To determine the award winners, members of the public were asked to cast their votes. In total, more than 5000 people voted for the top 50.

A few other Waikato establishments have made it into the ranking, among those were Te Awamutu’s Storyteller Eatery & Bar, Kaiaua’s Bay View Hotel and Taupō‘s Mavericks Gastro Pub as well as Hamilton’s The Helm Bar & Kitchen and The Lookout Bar & Kitchen.

After the public determined the top 50, a panel of judges chose seven regional winners and the supreme national champion, which was taken out by Takapuna’s Fantail & Turtle.

Following their win, The Keg Room team posted on social media: “Yes, the best! We are so stoked, it’s just amazing.

“We were up against some seriously stiff competition and are genuinely blown away that our little pub could take the crown over some phenomenal businesses both here in Hamilton and throughout the Central region”.

“We couldn’t do this without our team and we want to publicly thank them from the bottom of our hearts for showing up each day and giving it their all. We love seeing the growth that comes from all of them and the success that it brings.

“Thank you to all of you, our Keg Family, for helping us get to the awards in the first instance by giving us your vote.”

One of the awards judges was hospitality expert Connie Clarkson, who said it had been an “eye-opening exercise” to judge the competition.

“It has been … an honour to explore the vast world of Aotearoa’s gastropubs through the eyes of their best supporters. Given the quality of our seven regional winners, nailing the Supreme Champion was not simple.

“The Fantail & Turtle menu is confident, balanced and presents well, with a commitment to zero waste, provenance and sustainability,” Clarkson said.

Hospitality NZ chief executive Steve Armitage said the depth and breadth of the country’s food and beverage offering was phenomenal and the competition has been an opportunity to showcase an important component of New Zealand’s wider hospitality story.

“There are more than a thousand gastropubs across the motu and these awards are an opportunity to recognise and applaud the hard work and dedication that goes into them,” Armitage said.

“The calibre of gastropubs in this country is sensational and we hope that these awards inspire others to get out and experience all that they have to offer.”

“This is the first time these awards have been hosted in NZ, and our hope is the top 50 list will act as a dining out guide for locals and visitors to enjoy again and again.”

Cola-Cola Europacific partners’ marketing manager Tracey McKay said they were thrilled to get behind the awards.

“Gastropubs often go unnoticed in conventional culinary awards, so it’s been fantastic to give them a platform to showcase their diverse offering,” McKay said.

“We’re looking forward to deepening our relationship with gastropubs and their chefs, creating dishes and tasting menus to pair with Estrella Damm, the beer of Barcelona.”

Top Gastropubs regional winners

Auckland Central and Supreme Champion

Fantail & Turtle – North Shore

Upper North Island and Taranaki

The Tahi Bar + Kitchen – Warkworth, Auckland.

Central North Island

The Keg Room – Rototuna, Hamilton.

Lower North Island

Thistle Inn – Thorndon, Wellington.

Upper South Island

Strawberry Tree Kaikōura

Central South Island

CBK Craft Bar & Kitchen Kaiapoi, Canterbury.

Lower South Island and winner of the best Estrella Damm Paired Meal

The Fat Duck, Te Anau.