September 4, 2002
Monteith’s Extends Wild Food Challenge To West Coast
Monteith’s Brewing Company is delighted to announce it is extending its successful Monteith’s Wild Food Challenge
concept to the West Coast of the South Island and hopes it will assist in boosting tourism to the area.
The West Coast Monteith’s Wild Food Challenge will take place in November 1 to 30 this year and will be the first time
the national competition will be held in the West Coast.
The inaugural West Coast Challenge will take place in Karamea, Westport, Punakaiki, Moana, Greymouth, Hokitika, Franz
Josef, Fox Glacier and Haast. It will be run separately from the national Monteith’s Wild Food Challenge, which is held
in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin during June and July every year.
Member of the Monteith’s marketing team, Margie Butterworth, says the reason the West Coast Challenge will run
separately from the national Challenge in November is to entice tourists to visit the region earlier than usual in the
lead up to the summer months.
“To further maximise tourism opportunities for the West Coast we are also running the Challenge over a four-week period,
as opposed to the two-week period it is run in the other areas, to give tourists more time to travel to the Coast,”
Margie says.
“We are working closely with the Westland, Grey and Buller District Councils to encourage around 30 local restaurants
and bars to enter the Challenge and in turn attract more visitors to the area,” she says.
The focus of the West Coast Challenge will be on fun, culinary creativity and will encapsulate the theme and wild spirit
of the Monteith’s brand.
The participating West Coast restaurants will be judged on food and beer matching, service and spirit and the overall
winning outlet will receive a prize pack valued at $5000 for their efforts.
The national Monteith’s Wild Food Challenge has just completed its fifth year and is recognised as the country’s premier
and most reputed food and beer matching competition. It celebrates the coming together of great cuisine and the quality
beers of New Zealand’s most popular craft beer, Monteith’s.
The Monteith’s Wild Food Challenge aims to educate customers and consumers about the art and joys of beer and food
matching and encourage the wider New Zealand public to try matching in the home and in the restaurant dining arena.
ENDS