There’s no denying that those long lazy days of summer are behind us, but rather than focus on darker nights and fresher breezes, it’s time for some deliciously cheesy (and pickly) news.
The hot competition where chefs up and down the country cook up their tastiest take on the classic toastie, The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover, has just kicked off for 2022. And while participant numbers for 2021 were impressive, this year they're off the charts with a staggering 185 venues up and down the country putting their hands up to be judged.
With so many delicious toasties to be tried judging will take place over the next two months, with the finalists to be announced on June 22 and the supreme winner revealed on July 27.
For those needing a refresher, the competition rules are simple. Each toastie must be sandwiched between two slices of bread and able to be eaten by hand. The toasted sandwich must also contain cheese (or an acceptable vegan substitute) and pickles from the McClure’s Pickles range. Everything else is up to the toastie maker’s imagination.
So! With so many entrants across NZ, there's bound to be a toastie entered for the competition close to you, find the full list below and go here to see details of the toasties.
NORTH OF AUCKLAND (6)
Flow@WMBP, Waitangi
Logan MacLean Café, Waipu (Vege)
Matakana Village Pub, Matakana
Puhoi Valley Cheese Cafe, Puhoi
Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room, Matakana
Urban Remedy, Ruakaka
AUCKLAND (58)
Archie Cafe, Ponsonby
Beaufort + Co, Oteha
Best Ugly Bagels, CBD x 2 (City Works Depot & Commercial Bay), Newmarket, Airport
Bird on a Wire, CBD (Commercial Bay), Ponsonby, Takapuna, Orakei, Newmarket, Ormiston
Botany Commons, Botany Town Centre
Burgernaut, Kingsland
Cazador Deli, Mount Eden
Cheese on Toast, Three Kings & Birkenhead
Churly's Brewpub + Eatery, Mt Eden
Citizen Park, Kingsland
Crafty Baker, Titirangi
Dedwood Deli, Ponsonby
Drifter Coffee NZ, Orewa
Fat Belly Deli, Freemans Bay
Federal Delicatessen, CBD (Vege)
Goldie, Mt Eden (Vege)
Good Day, Orakei
Hash n Smash (Food Truck) (Vege)
Jo Bros, Titirangi
Kohi Beach Store, Kohimarama
Le Chef Kitchen (Wapiti Sports bar), Point Chevalier
Lowbrow, Karangahape Road
Moxie Restaurant, Birkenhead Point
ONE - Onehunga Neighbourhood Eatery
Peachs Hot Chicken, Panmure
Pilkingtons, CBD
Pins Cafe (Lincoln Pins), Henderson
Pizza Landing, Te Atatu Peninsula (Vege)
Rampant Coffee, New Lynn
Rosier Burgers, Glen Eden
Simple Cafe and Eatery, Albany
Something & Social, Westfield Newmarket
The Cav, Freemans Bay
The Daily Goods, Pukekohe
The Farmhouse, Clevedon (Vege)
The Northcote Tavern, Northcote Point
Union Post, Ellerslie
Wild Wheat, Mt Eden, Howick, Belmont, Mt Albert, Ascot, Birkenhead
Wipeout Kitchen (Food Truck)
Wynyard Pavilion, CBD
Yakety Yak, Pukekohe
WAIKATO / COROMANDEL/BOP (16)
Bird on a Wire, Hamilton
Capers Cafe + Store, Rotorua
Eastwood Café, Rotorua
Folk Brewers, Tauranga
Irish Wawa Cafe, Tokoroa
Okere Falls, Rotorua
Plan Bee, Waihi
Smith & McKenzie, Hamilton
Texas Pete's BBQ Dinsdale, Hamilton
Texas Pete's BBQ Rototuna, Hamilton
The General Café, Mount Maunganui
The Nourished Eatery, Tauranga (Vegan)
The Orchard House, Katikati
The Public Office, Ngatea
The Redoubt Bar & Eatery, Morrinsville
CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND (16)
#antsnacks the lunch bar, New Plymouth (Vege)
13th Stag, Hastings Sports Park
Best Burgers, Havelock North
Black Betty BBQ, Hastings
Carr's Kitchen, Hastings
Creel Tackle House and Café, Tūrangi
Deli @ Known Unknown, New Plymouth (Vege)
Fork and Noise, Hastings (Food Truck)
Porridge Watson, Whanganui
Replete Cafe & Store, Taupō
Serial Griller, Ōakura, Taranaki
Sunshine Brewery, Awapuni, Gisborne
That Sandwich Place, Napier
The Duke's Roadhouse, Mangaweka
The Storehouse, Taupō
Toastie Ohakune, Ohakune
WELLINGTON REGION (52)
Artisan at Bolton Hotel, Wellington
Baloosonbroadway Restaurant @ The Carterton Club (RSA), Carterton
Beach Babylon, Wellington
Beaver and Bear, Palmerston North
Bebemos, Wellington (Vege)
Best Ugly, Te Aro, Airport, Featherston Street
Bethel Woods, Wellington
Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferry
Brew Union, Palmerston North
Brew’d Island Bay, Wellington
Buzz Cafe Restaurant, Lower Hutt
Cable Top Eatery, Wellington
Cafe Polo, Miramar
Cutlers Entertainment, Lower Hutt (Vege)
Dillinger's, Wellington
Fidels café, Wellington
Fix & Fogg window, Wellington (Vege)
Fix Federation, Lower Hutt
Gelissimo @ Freyberg, Wellington (Vege)
goods manufactory, Wellington (Vege)
Gourmet Hi-way, Hunterville
Hangar Cafe, Wellington
Hotel Bristol, Wellington
Huxley's, Wellington
Korky's Catering (Food Truck)
Little Beer Quarter, Te Aro, Wellington
Macs Brewbar, Wellington CBD
Mockingbird, Te Aro, Wellington (Vegan)
Nolita, CBD, Wellington (Vegan)
One Fat Bird, Karori, Wellington
Park Kitchen, Mirimar, Wellington
Rollatoasta (Food Truck), Lower Hutt
Roxy Cinema, Miramar, Wellington
Seashore Cabaret, Petone, Lower Hutt
Sinbin Sports Bar, Lower Hutt
Staten Eatery, Te Aro, Wellington (Vege)
Sweet Release, Te Aro, Wellington (Vegan)
Ten O'clock Cookie Bakery Cafe, Masterton
The Arborist Rooftop Bar & Eatery, CBD, Wellington
The Borough, Tawa, Wellington
The Botanist, Lyall Bay, Wellington (Vegan)
The Clareville Bakery, Clareville
The Crab Shack, CBD, Wellington
The Crooked Elm, Lower Hutt
The Green Man Pub, CBD, Wellington
The Offering, Greytown
The Offering @ Moore Wilsons, Masterton
The Thistle Inn, Thorndon, Wellington
Twenty Eight, Lower Hutt
Whistling Sisters Beer Co, Te Aro, Wellington
UPPER SOUTH ISLAND (24)
Akaroa Butchery & Deli, Akaroa
Arden, Nelson
Bacon Bros, Christchurch
BEERS, Christchurch
Chocolate and Ginger (Food Truck), Blenheim
Empire Chicken, Christchurch
Grater Goods, Christchurch (Vegan)
Hangar Round Cafe, Motueka
Herb + Olive Cafe, Blenheim
Ilex Café, Christchurch
Kaikoura Beach House Café, Kaikōura
Little Nessie Cafe, Nelson
Monza Sports Bar Christchurch Casino, Christchurch
Shaka Bros, Christchurch
Street Food on Washington (Food Truck), Nelson
Sun Dog Diner, Christchurch (Vege)
Terra Viva Cafe, Christchurch
The Brewery, Christchurch
The Café Christchurch Casino, Christchurch
The Food Bus (Food Truck), Reefton
The Nourish Food Company, Christchurch
The Smoking Barrel, Motueka
Vines Café, Blenheim
Woodstock Hotel, Woodstock (West Coast)
LOWER SOUTH ISLAND (13)
Bespoke Kitchen, Queenstown
Cargo Gantley's Pub, Queenstown
High Country Salmon, Twizel
Hungry Hobos, Dunedin
Johnny Crema (Food Truck), Queenstown
Love Chicken, Queenstown
Mikey's KAI (Food Truck), Dunedin
Morning Magpie, Dunedin (Vege)
PiqueNique Café, Timaru (Keto)
Roasted x Toasted, Lumsden
The Fine Lion, Ashburton
The Waipiata Country Hotel, Waipata
The Wanaka ‘Wich Project, Wanaka
Still peckish? Here's all the food news you need to know this week.