The top 29 semi-finalists have been announced for the 2010 Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge.
Traditionally only 20 restaurants make the finals before the number is whittled down to five finalists after personal visits from the Monteith’s judging team led by head judge, Kerry Tyack.
But Monteith’s marketing manager, Russell Browne, says the standard of entries is particularly high this year and several outlets tied with each other, pushing the number to 27 in total.
“All semi-finalists in the Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge will be keeping their wild dish on their menus until Sunday 8th August allowing people to either enjoy it again, or try another finalist restaurant. We’ve had amazing feedback from both consumers and the restaurants competing in the competition so far. Consumers have enjoyed some truly incredible meals up and down the country and the restaurants themselves have really got into the spirit of the competition with many theming their outlet, and their staff. The enthusiasm overall for the competition has been fantastic.”
This year’s semi-finalists also include the overall winner from 2009, The Abbey Bar and Kitchen from Auckland, and 2009 top five finalist Mount Bistro from Mt Manganui.
Another of the 2009 top five finalists to make it through to the top 27 this year is The Porch Kitchen & Bar in Waihi Beach.
The top five finalists to compete at the 2010 Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge finals will be announced on Monday 9th August ahead of the final cook-off in Auckland on Monday 23rd August where the overall winner will be announced.

The top 27 semi-finalists are:

Basalt Clevedon Hotel
Black Salt Auckland
Brooklyn Bar Auckland
Cobar Restaurant Lower Hutt
CSB Gastro Bar Tauranga
His Lordships Christchurch
Level 1 Restaurant & Bar @ The Kelvin Hotel  Invercargill
Monteith's Brewery Bar Kapiti Junction  Wellington
Monteith's Brewery Bar Khandallah  Wellington
Mount Bistro Mt Maunganui
Number 8 Cafe Ltd Mt Maunganui
Pepper Tree Restaurant  Coromandel
Ploughmans Restaurant and Bar Taupo
Redoubt Bar and Eatery - Te Awamutu Hamilton
Sahara Restaurant, Bar & Lounge Whangarei
Seismic Gastrobar Rotorua
Smith and McKenzie Chophouse Hamilton
The Abbey Bar & Kitchen Auckland
The Bangalore Polo Club Christchurch
The Bard on Avon Christchurch
The Bathhouse Tapas Bar and Restaurant Queenstown
The Dominion Auckland
The Porch Kitchen and Bar Waihi Beach
The Vespa Room Christchurch
The Watershed  Christchurch
Uncle Mike's BBQ  Wanaka
Vinnies Restaurant Auckland
White Restaurant at the Hilton Auckland

For more information on the 2010 Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge visit: www.monteiths.co.nz.