Former Arrowtown favourite keeps things fresh and local

A former head chef of the Postmaster’s Restaurant and Deli has opened a new food outlet in Arrowtown selling homemade produce sourced mainly from local ingredients and prepared fresh onsite.

Arrowtown General Store on Buckingham Street offers deli meats and cheeses, café food and take-home meals plus a range of kitchenware. Outdoor seating is available for customers to grab a coffee or lunch.

Storeowner Hannah Crisp is also attending farmers' markets in Queenstown, Wanaka (both on Saturdays) and Cromwell (Sundays) throughout the summer as well as taking orders for Christmas hampers and catering for weddings, birthdays and garden parties.

Hannah trained at London's Cordon Bleu before working for Rick Stein at his world-famous seafood restaurant in Cornwall. Based on her culinary knowledge and experience of serving the Arrowtown market, she has built relationships with native suppliers and takes inspiration directly from the ingredients available to her.

"I'll meet someone and then think about how I can create recipes using their seasonal produce that I can cook and sell in store or at farmers’ markets. People come in with their surplus which I’m delighted to make use of,” she said.

"I’m a chef making everyday food. A lot of my dishes are familiar favourites like Cornish pasties, seafood chowder, pestos and patés plus treats like chocolate brownies which always go down well at the markets. My training enables me to experiment with flavours and add that little something special you won’t find anywhere else.

"I like to be very hands-on. For example, I've been invited by a grower to visit his olive grove and collect my own olives which I'll pickle myself."

Arrowtown General Store's suppliers include Cardrona Merino Lamb, Waitaki Bacon & Ham, Dunedin Blueskin Bay Clams, Cairnmuir Olives and a one-man veggie grower in Arrowtown. Stone fruit is sourced from Central Otago and cheese from producers in Invercargill, Oamaru and Dunedin.

Arrowtown General Store has moved into the old chocolate shop next to Blue Moon under Joe’s Garage and is open seven days from 10am to 6pm.

For more information drop by the store or contact Hannah Crisp on 03 442 0992 or email arrowtowngeneralstore@yahoo.com.