Hokitika eatery is NZ’s best toastie maker

Searching for a better quality of life, Joseph Walker left his successful restaurant in the US to open a small eatery in regional New Zealand. Two years later, he has put Hokitika on the culinary map – being crowned the country’s best toastie maker.

The streets of Hokitika are brimming with cafés and restaurants, and now – thanks to the Hokitika Sandwich Company – it is home to the country’s best toasted sandwich.

Joseph explains that he was searching for the best pickles he could get his hands on for his shop when he stumbled across local business Cook and Nelson who sell the amazing McClure’s pickles.

“They were about to launch the Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover competition and asked if I wanted to join the fun and I thought why not,” Joseph says.

Criteria for the competition required sandwiches to be made within two slices of bread, be eaten by hand, and contain cheese and McClure’s pickles.

With his take on the toasted sandwich, ‘The Detroit’, Joseph wanted to pay homage to the home city of McClure’s pickles by creating a simple working-class sandwich typical to that area.

“The sandwich is made with Euro Gourmet Meat’s corned beef, Barrys Bay Havarti cheese, cream cheese, red onion, sweet and spicy pickles and my own in-house special sauce on locally sourced ciabatta – toasted in Westgold butter – another award-winning Hokitika product.”

The Detroit beat 13 other finalists for the prize with judges praising the toastie for being simple, unpretentious, yet bold – “and clearly made by someone who knows a great toastie.”

Joe McClure, of McClure’s Pickles in Detroit, travelled to New Zealand to sample the finalists’ toasties, and he was full of praise for the Hokitika Sandwich Company’s toastie.

“Their choice of just a few exceptional ingredients was considered and carefully prepared and layered to deliver sensational flavour and a great mouthfeel,” he said.

Joseph says they stuck to their philosophy of simple, extremely high-quality food and were proud to be rewarded for it. 

‘We are also proud of our town for showing the larger centres that regional New Zealand can compete on a national level.”

Development West Coast chief executive Chris Mackenzie says despite having less than 0.7 percent of New Zealand’s population, the West Coast constantly punches above its weight with the business community regularly winning national and international awards.

“It’s great to see the Hokitika Sandwich Company continue this tradition and help put the West Coast on the culinary map,” he says.

Better quality of life

Joseph has been involved in the hospitality/restaurant industry his entire adult life, saying: “food and drink have always been a central part of my life, my friendships, and my experiences.”

He has opened successful restaurants in both the Marlborough Sounds and the US.

“After four years living in downtown Denver with a very urban lifestyle, my wife Anna and I decided we wanted a cleaner, healthier and safer environment to start a family, so we packed up and came back to New Zealand.

“After looking at land and houses in every region of the country we fell in love with a small lifestyle block and villa in Kokatahi about fifteen minutes from Hokitika.

“This area ticked all the boxes for us. We are close to some of the most incredible natural features you can imagine; mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, as well as an airport and the cool little town and community of Hokitika. Not to mention only a short flight or drive to Christchurch when we craved some city life,” he says.

Small town advantages

Wanting to give Hokitika a fresh and affordable lunch option and add another layer to the local food culture, Joseph teamed up with Denis Geary to open the Hokitika Sandwich Company in 2017.

“Having run a very successful sandwich shop in Denver I already had the blueprint, so I went about sourcing the best local ingredients to put between two slices of bread.”

Joseph says there are many advantages to having a business in Hokitika. “The local council was very supportive in getting everything up and running. Our food safety officer was eager to see a vibrant community with great dining options and was supportive every step of the way.

“Commercial rent is cheap which minimises the financial risk. There is a great tourist flow with a million people passing through the region annually. The commute is stress-free unless the neighbours are moving their cows. The town itself is humming and has a great seaside vibe.”

“The Coast is going through a bit of a renaissance and has so much untapped potential, while other markets are saturated with competition there are many opportunities here for new types of businesses.”

Joseph and the Hokitika Sandwich Shop demonstrate in spades that you do not need to be located in a big city to be successful. Regional New Zealand, and the quality of life it can offer, is becoming more and more appealing for many small business owners, says Chris Mackenzie.