Food Tours and Activities in Greymouth
In a town where beer brewing and “whitebaiting” is all part of the culture, you can bet that Greymouth has a side to please foodies. See what makes locals flock to the riversides to catch whitebait during the season, try artisanry products across its Sunday market and its famous butchery, and find delightful street food vendors in obscure places. We’ll guide you through the best food tours and experiences of the Greymouth area with this list of things to do in Greymouth for foodies.
For more food activities in Greymouth, as well as restaurant and accommodation recommendations, check out The Foodie Guide to Greymouth and the 10 Best Accommodation in Greymouth for Foodies.
1. Tour the Monteith’s Brewery
A go-to for foodies or anyone wanting to get out of the rain in Greymouth is the Monteith’s Brewery! Not only do they have a bar and restaurant to sample beers and ciders on tasting paddles paired with delectable meals, but they also offer comprehensive tours of their working brewery. The experience takes you through the brewing process, from the ingredients used to bottling and barrelling (or more like putting the good stuff in kegs). You’ll also have the opportunity to learn how to pull the perfect pint, as well as browse the mini-museum of one of New Zealand’s oldest beermakers. Learn more about the Monteith’s Brewery Tour on Viator and Tripadvisor.
Location: 60 Herbert Street, Greymouth town centre.
© NZPocketGuide.com2. Try a West Coast Delicacy, Whitebait
Between mid-August and November each year, locals go nutty for catching whitebait, i.e. immature fish that swim in schools up estuaries and rivers during the “Whitebait Season”. See what all the fuss is about by trying whitebait, usually prepared in a fritter, at one of the local restaurants or takeaways. Buccleugh’s on High is a noteworthy place to try it, as well as other West Coast highlights like blue cod and venison within the historic Recreation Hotel. Alternatively, try whitebait or a whole range of Kiwi favourites at Sevenpenny a bustling place sprawling onto one of Greymouth’s main streets, which is open from breakfast, lunch and dinner. Or, simply pick-up a whitebait fritter with some classic Kiwi fish and chips from Cobdens Takeaways.
Location: Buccleugh’s on High – 68 High Street. Sevenpenny – 9 Tainui Street. Cobdens Takeaways – 126 Bright Street.
© Pixabay3. Get Raw Fresh New Zealand Milk From CJ’s Milk
While exploring the surrounding area of Greymouth, stop by CJ’s Milk! Just off the Great Coast Road, CJ’s Milk sells raw and fresh milk in glass bottles the way it used to be. You’ll get raw unprocessed milk along with all its creamy goodness straight from the farm, giving you an authentic taste of New Zealand’s prolific dairy industry.
Location: 26 North Beach Road, Cobden, approximately 4km (2 miles) from Greymouth town centre.
© NZPocketGuide.com4. Pick Up Gourmet Meat Products From Blackball Salami
Alternatively, if you’re in Blackball perhaps to do the Paparoa Track, don’t miss Blackball Salami. This butchery is famous across the West Coast and New Zealand for its creative range of salami made from a variation of beef, pork and venison combined with herbs and spices resulting in quality gourmet meat products. If you don’t make it to Blackball, Blackball Salami products can still be found in New World supermarkets across the West Coast.
Location: 11 Hilton Street, Blackball, approximately 24km (15 miles) from Greymouth town centre.
© Pixabay5. Browse the Greymouth Sunday Market
From street food vendors to artisan stalls, the Greymouth Sunday Market is a foodie’s paradise for sampling the local cuisine. Whatever the weather, the market takes place either inside or outside Tai Poutini Polytech, between 10am and 2pm every Sunday. Pick up artisan cheese, relishes, jams, mustards, homebaked goods, hot coffee, hot donuts, as well as local arts and crafts.
Location: Tai Poutini Polytech, 73-87 Tainui Street, Greymouth town centre.
© Pixabay6. Make Your Own Kitchen Utensils with Barrytown Knifemaking
Another foodie activity, albeit loosely food-related, is with Barrytown Knifemaking. While this full-day workshop isn’t about eating, per se, it’s more about forging your own quality tool to cook with. The experience takes place in the scattered community of Barrytown where you’ll be hammering and forging a knife in your desired shape with the help of your friendly hosts and instructors. While the drinks and refreshments provided throughout the day aren’t exactly worth bigging up as a foodie experience, the journey of making your own memorable souvenir and the end result certainly is! See more activities like this in the 8 Luxury Activities in Greymouth.
Location: 2662 Coast Road, Barrytown, approximately 27km (17 miles) from Greymouth town centre.
© Pixabay7. Have a Bite to Eat at the Best Taverns, Cafes and Street Food Vendors in Town
While we’ve already mentioned dining at Buccleugh’s on High, Sevenpenny and the local chippy Cobdens Takeaways, there are alternative dining options in Greymouth well worth seeking out. A popular place to meet-up and enjoy a coffee or treat is the DP1 Cafe with its vintage-style decor and table numbers printed on old record discs. Maggies Kitchen is a classic Kiwi-style cafe with affordable and hearty breakfasts, fish and chips and much more. While you might have tried Monteith’s (see point #1), don’t forget The Speight’s Ale House pouring more South Island-brewed beers along with lamb shank, gourmet burgers and whitebait when in season. Finally, take a walk along the Floodwall Walkway to Blaketown Tiphead where you’ll find the boat food trailer of The Lifeboat NZ. This funky street food vendor specialises in Dutch coffee and stroopwafels!
Location: DP1 Cafe – 104 Mawhera Quay. Maggies Kitchen – 65 Mackay Street. The Speight’s Ale House – 130 Mawhera Quay. The Lifeboat NZ – Blaketown Tiphead.
© NZPocketGuide.comMore Things to Do in Greymouth for Foodies
Sources:
The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:
- Tourism New Zealand (General travel advice - Updated [2024])
- Department of Conservation (Tracks, hikes, campsites and more - Updated [2024])
- AdventureSmart (Know before you go - Update [2024])
- Tiaki Promise (Care for people place and culture - Updated [2024])
- NZ Māori Tourism (Official Māori Tourism platform - Updated [2024])
- Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (Road and transport tips - Updated [2024])
- DriveSafe (Road safety - Updated [2024])
- Council websites and freedom camping maps (Local travel advice region by region - Updated [2024])
- Safe Travel (NZ travel advisories - Updated [2024])
- Tourism Export Council New Zealand (Tourism trade association - Updated [2024])
- TIA (Independent tourism association - Updated [2024])
- West Coast NZ (Regional tourism website)
- Grey District Council (Local council website)
Our editorial standards: At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.
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