Foodie destination: Bespoke Kitchen, Queenstown

If a name could tell a story, the story of Queenstown’s Bespoke Kitchen wouldn’t be too far from reality. A creative and comfortable interior combines with a menu that has been carefully developed to encompass all aspects of health, wellbeing and deliciousness, topped off with a location that could charm anyone’s socks off. You could be excused for thinking it was all created just for you! We speak to co-owner Rae Ellis about the factors behind Bespoke Kitchen’s success, as well as finding out just how they make their pineapple bounty bars taste so good.

Q: Can you tell us the story behind Bespoke Kitchen?

With the success of [our first café] [Vudu Larder](https://www.vudu.co.nz/|target=”_blank”|rel=”nofollow”) in central Queenstown, Bespoke Kitchen grew out of a desire to house more organic and plant-based ideals. The site came up before our other site was demolished so the timing was perfect!

Q: How does your Queenstown location influence your business?

We are nestled on the hill less than 5 minutes’ walk from central Queenstown, overlooking Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables. We have a peaceful courtyard sanctuary away from the town centre’s hustle and bustle with a local neighbourhood feel. All of this makes us a destination, and as a destination our customers allocate more time to their visit, creating a more relaxed atmosphere.

Agria, carrot and kūmara hash

Q: Where do you find inspiration for the dishes on your menu?

Winter and summer menus keep us experimenting, developing and researching, primarily from local and seasonal ingredients. We also love to travel (which we call research!); going to new cities and seeing something new and exciting is always inspiring. We appreciate attention to detail – we experiment, perfect the dishes, then present a menu and a large cabinet of beautiful, fresh and delicious food.

Q: What is your favourite item on your menu and why?

This is a hard question as I have so many favourites! I’m loving all of our raw treats from our cabinet at the moment – you can’t beat an afternoon coffee and bounty bar (pictured below).

The breakfast board (including a grapefruit, pineapple, apple & ginger shot; avocado and poached eggs on toast and a chia, coconut & raspberry pot, pictured below) draws from the strong elements of our menu and presents beautifully.

Our agria, carrot, kūmara hash (served with spring onions, crispy corn, watercress aioli, fried egg and cherry & chilli relish, pictured above) is another personal favourite. We change this up between the seasons to incorporate seasonal products, and it’s always a winner.

Try Bespoke Kitchen’s deliciously wholesome bounty bars.

Q: What makes your menu memorable?

Using new and different ingredients like charcoal, green tea, chia seeds and red beans as elements of a dish is visually more stimulating and offers new flavours. We create our menu from locally sourced wholefoods and offer a large variety of vegan and raw dishes that complement our customers’ wellbeing and health. Customers delight at the dietary options, presentation and, most importantly, taste. A cabinet full of sweeter slices and cakes for the vegan and raw food customer completes the experience.

Q: What do you want Bespoke Kitchen to be known for?

Naturally we want all ingredients of Bespoke to make your experience memorable – the menu, the hospitality, the coffee, the ambience and the view are all elements of our success. It makes us really proud when customers have a great experience with us.