11 Independent Food Producers of Central Otago

Just outside Cromwell, in a large tin shed accented with pops of pink, Jackson Orchards is a family-run business that has been growing some of New Zealand’s finest fruit since the 1860s, spanning five generations. There’s always a seasonal fruit ready to bite into, from cherries, apricots and peaches in summer, to a crisp array of apples and pears during the cooler months. Alongside crates abundant with fruit, the Jackson Orchards store offers seasonal vegetables, artisan bread, flowers, local pantry items and much more, making it a one-stop shop for many Cromwell residents. The view into the packing shed adds another layer of excitement to your shop, and 45-minute scenic tours through the orchard are also available all year round. Don’t leave without stopping by the famous real fruit ice cream cart outside.

Warning: this might be the cutest roadside stall you’ll ever stumble across. The Forage & Gold honey shed is a true hidden gem, tucked away on Bannockburn Road. Owners Zoe and Tim Wood opened the petite shed in 2011, after the community went wild for their batches of liquid gold at the local farmers market. Inside the stall, you’ll find five distinct flavours available in 250g, 500g or 1kg jars, the result of happy free-range bees gathering nectar from wild Otago plants. Pick your jar; whether it be Clover, Thyme, Manuka, Vipers Bugloss or Kamahi, and follow the instructions to pay digitally. If Bannockburn is a bit of a drive, you can always visit Forage & Gold’s online store which ships nationwide.

It was three decades before Valda Muller and her late husband Otto experienced their first successful walnut harvest, a refreshing long-term approach in a world now run on instant gratification. In 1981, Valda and Otto purchased land on Pearson Road near Cromwell and began experimenting with growing walnuts in the Central Otago environment. Sadly Otto passed away in 2020, but Valda and their son Tim continue to work on the orchard, with Valda selling bags of the certified organic walnuts, including walnut oil, butter, flour and even pickles at local markets. Following a bumper crop, Tim restored a shed originally built by Otto and set up a roadside stall, which is now open to the public outside their orchard on Pearson Road.

Established in 1914, generations of the Webb family have since endured on their 32 hectare orchard of summer fruit and pip fruit trees. To celebrate 100 years, Webb’s Fruit opened a shiny new roadside store in 2014, where visitors could enjoy freshly picked apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums, and more. As well as being recognised for their quality stone fruit, Webb’s Fruit has taken home the Otago trophy for Jazz apples (aka the world’s tastiest, crunchiest apples) for back-to-back-years. The main orchard store is open all seasons, but you can also find two other seasonal stores in the region, on Kawarau Gorge Road (open December to April) and in Queenstown’s Frankton neighbourhood (open December to March).

On the outskirts of Lake Roxburgh Village, Stone House Gardens invites many travellers to veer off the highway and into a tranquil garden setting, home to a family-owned and run roadside stall, cafe, and stone fruit orchard. For those looking to fill their fruit bowl, the stall is brimming with many varieties of seasonal stone fruit, from Golden Queen peaches to Black Doris plums to Stella cherries, alongside honey, freshly picked peonies, and housemade preserves. The cafe serves excellent coffee and a tempting array of homemade sweet and savoury treats, best enjoyed in the picturesque garden with plenty of opportunities to stroll amongst fragrant flowers and ornamental trees. Stone House Gardens is open from about November until Easter but keep an eye out on their Facebook page for the latest opening hours.

Growing “red gold” on their two-hectare farm in the Teviot Valley, Graham and Wendy have been producing Central Otago saffron since 2012. The couple make a great team, with Graham holding a PhD in Botany before training at the world’s most prestigious Agricultural University, University of California Davis, and Wendy drawing on her chef experience to produce exceptional saffron recipes. From September through to May (excluding harvest in April), they invite visitors along for free saffron and garden tours to learn about how they grow, process and produce Wynyard Estate’s Premium Grade 1 saffron products. Oh, and to meet their four cute dogs; Stella, Milo, Jazz and Baz, of course. Most of Wynyard Estate’s saffron goes into producing their renowned Hawk Eye Natural supplement, which promotes and supports healthy eyes, but there’s a limited amount of other products available to purchase from their studio too, including saffron threads, saffron-infused spreads, and saffron corm plants for avid home gardeners.

It’s amazing to think the first fruit tree seeds were planted on this land in the late 1800s and over 100 years later, this little independent orchard continues to burst with nature’s sweetest treats. Johnson’s Cottage is situated just out of Roxburgh, surrounded by rolling hills and rows of fruitful trees. Eaten fresh, dried, or starring in delicious condiments and preserves, it’s all about tasty top-quality fruit here. The store is delightfully rustic, showcasing a bounty of seasonal fruit (each type available in at least 6 or 7 different varieties), the freshest vegetables, homemade fruit jams and chutneys, jars of Marsh’s Honey, free-range eggs and more.

Beside the serene shores of Lake Dunstan, rows and rows of Dunford Grove olive trees flourish in the extreme Central Otago climate to produce a range of premium award-winning products. Dunford Grove is most well-known for its extra virgin olive oil, but also crafts delicious whole olives in brine, skin-loving soap, dukkah, honey, olive salt, fresh hazelnuts and more. As well as being spray-free, the Dunford team is constantly finding ways to repurpose all waste. The pomace left from pressing is composted, leftover oil is used to make soap, and large branches that aren’t mulched are fashioned into dipping bowls and spoons. Visitors can purchase from the grove directly, but make sure to call ahead to book in a time to ensure the team is on site. Alternatively, find the Dunford Grove range online, at local fruit stores and farmers’ markets, Tarras Village Store, Feinerman’s, and in other pockets of Central Otago and Queenstown.

Gary Bignell has been growing and selling cherries in Aotearoa since he was a teenager. After seeing perfectly delicious fruit discarded due to small blemishes, Gary decided he wanted to be part of improving the industry he loved and founded Eden Orchards in 2017 with his wife Steph and their son Cameron. As of 2025, Eden Orchards has processed 3 million kgs of cherries that would have otherwise ended up in landfills or on local orchards. As well as being delicious, the juices are crammed with naturally high antioxidants to support sleep, joints, and general well-being. The range has expanded to include blueberry, peach, nectarine and kiwifruit flavours, as well as smoothies and sparkling juices. You can purchase Eden Orchards products online or at mainstream supermarkets and specialty food stores all over New Zealand and Australia, but some local suppliers include Jackson Orchards, Feinerman’s, and Naseby General Store.

Brought to life by the same family as Jackson Orchard, Freeway Orchard was planted across 20 acres in 1983, alongside the construction of its hugely popular fruit stall. Located off the highway as you cross the bridge coming into Cromwell, locals, New Zealand tourists and international travellers flock to the store between September and April for an unparalleled selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables, honey (which you can see being produced in the glass beehive in store), locally made preserves, freshly laid farm eggs, and more. Grab a swirl of real fruit ice cream or a freshly squeezed juice while you’re here, the perfect refreshment on a sizzling summer’s day. Hot tip: head next door for lunch at The Stoaker Room or a wine tasting at either Misha’s or The Cork & Cap.

Inspired by her love of growing, cooking and serving food, Anna Cameron launched Kitchen Window in 2008, with her sister Jude joining her in 2024 as a business partner and cook. They continue to produce a beloved and award-winning range of small batch preserves, designed to be shared between friends and family at the table. Anna and Jude make the most of the fruit-laden trees and flourishing gardens of Central Otago to handcraft everything from chutneys, sauces and dressings, to jams, marmalades and jellies. Most recently, the Kitchen Window Cafe has opened at Jackson Orchards, where you can stock up on the award-winning preserves, order a wholesome and nutritious lunch, or grab a sweet treat.