The prestigious Michelin Guide is heading to Oceania for the first time, and Kylie Gillies is getting a firsthand look at the New Zealand food scene.
As part of a trip with Tourism New Zealand, The Morning Show host travelled through Christchurch and beyond, sampling the local produce, luxury dining and farm-to-fork experiences, helping turn the country into one of the world’s most exciting emerging food destinations.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Michelin Guide arrives in New Zealand for first time
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow
The Michelin Guide, which helped turn chefs including Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay into household names, has selected New Zealand as its inaugural Oceania destination.
Christchurch has emerged as one of the country’s biggest foodie drawcards, blending local produce, fine dining and sustainable hospitality experiences.
Gillies explored the city with Riwai Grace from Āmiki Tours, who showcased the stories, culture and local flavours helping shape Christchurch’s growing reputation.
At Riverside Market, Gillies explored a bustling food hub rebuilt after the 2011 earthquakes, where more than 40 per cent of the structure was created using recycled materials.
The market is home to family-run vendors serving South Island cheeses, green shell mussels, and feijoa, a fruit unique to New Zealand.
Restaurants are also quietly preparing for the arrival of anonymous Michelin inspectors, who have reportedly been dining incognito across the country for months.
Gillies also stopped by Christchurch restaurant Londo, where she sampled a signature “Corpse Reviver” cocktail created by Robert Fairs using gin infused with passionfruit husks.
At Gatherings, chef Harry said the guide’s arrival was already energising the hospitality industry.
“We feel pretty privileged. It’s a really great thing for the wide hospitality scene in New Zealand, and we’re certainly quite motivated by it,” he said.
“Anyone who was in the know and had the right name on a booking and sat by themselves has probably had a pretty amazing experience over the last couple of months.”
The restaurant’s seasonal menu highlights dishes including lightly grilled radicchio over charcoal, yellowfin tuna, and a choux farce featuring savoy cabbage with pork from local Polaka Farms.
The Michelin Guide’s arrival marks a major milestone for New Zealand hospitality, putting the country’s restaurants and local produce firmly on the world stage.