New Zealand Food and Drink

New Zealanders are generally proud of the excellent food and wine they produce but would struggle to identify a national cuisine.

You'll get vague mentions of pavlova, and roast lamb - but neither are consumed on a very regular basis; though there was much glee when pavlova was indisputably proven to be a New Zealand creation rather than an Australian one! Most New Zealanders cook though, and you will find less ready meals on supermarket shelves than you may be used to. You'll still get home baking in more than a few Kiwi homes, and when eating out you'll enjoy reasonably priced, world-class cuisine.

Most New Zealand families shop once a week at a supermarket, and a family of four will spend upwards of $200 a week on food. For an effective comparison, try putting together a typical basket of weekly shopping for your family at www.woolworths.co.nz. Or you could have a look at the shopping trolley we put together.

The abundance of specialist butchers, fishmongers, bakers, health food shops and greengrocers are proof that many people enjoy shopping around for comestibles. These shops may offer a specialised product, but seldom charge premium prices, and may even be cheaper than supermarkets.

There is good awareness of the needs of vegetarian and gluten-free diets, and growing awareness of peanut and other life-threatening allergies. Allergy New Zealand's website, www.allergy.org.nz, includes product alerts, which may save you a few hours of scrutinising labels while out shopping. Free-range eggs are widely available, but you may need to look harder for other organic foodstuffs. Farmers markets are a growing trend.

A meal out will probably cost you a lot less in New Zealand. The traditional takeaway is fish and chips, but you will also find a good range of other restaurants and takeaways in most towns. A three course meal with a bottle of wine at one of Christchurch's nicer restaurant will probably come to around $200 for a couple, including wine. A meal at a more casual BYO (Bring Your Own wine) restaurant may cost around $60, and a family meal of fish and chips could be as little as $20. You aren't expected to tip, but a 15-20% surcharge may apply on national holidays.

For information on the range and price of other household goods available in New Zealand, please see our article on New Zealand shops.

Broadbase International will work with you every step of the way to help you make a confident start to your new life in New Zealand. Please contact us if you have any questions about the financial side of life in New Zealand, and don't forget to order your free copy of our comprehensive New Zealand Guide.