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What's on the menu in winter

Discover succulent steak, pork perfection inspiration and what's trending this season.

What’s Fresh and Trending 

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Perfect as a meat substitute for meals like burgers, try also a variety of cooking methods such as coated and deep fried, tossed in butter, drizzled with a herby topping – these are perfect always on and always available option for your menu!                            

Magical Mushrooms

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Few dishes evoke the feeling of comfort and joy like a beautiful cut of beef. Bidfood’s beef cuts range from premium big spenders like the showstopping tomahawk steaks, to the lesser-known cuts that are bursting with flavour and provide excellent value for money.

Succulent Steak

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Beneath its pale, crunchy leaves lies a complex balance of bitterness, nuttiness, and subtle sweetness that makes witloof a fascinating ingredient in all types of dishes.                                                                                                                         

Witloof

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Pork is a popular staple on many menus due to its versatility and flavour. It’s a meat with nose to tail appeal due to its diverse cuts, from tender fillets and unctuous belly meat, to crunchy, crackling pork skin and finger-lickin’ rib options.                                      

Pork Perfection

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Many restaurants take the opportunity to ‘feed the stars’, to take a moment and give thanks, and to honour the traditions and come together as a community and there are multiple opportunities for cafés and restaurants to showcase the foods and flavours.

Modern Matariki

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Black garlic is a unique ingredient with a deep, dark hue and a soft, sticky texture that sets it apart from traditional garlic.  Its deep, earthy complexity makes black garlic remarkably versatile, deeply rooted in Korean, Japanese and Chinese culinary traditions.      

Black Garlic

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Savouring pork in every style

Pork can be cooked in a multitude of ways, including flash frying, low and slow and sous vide to name just a few. It also pairs beautifully with different flavours, from hot and spicy Asian-inspired dishes, to sticky, honeyed American dishes, and comfort food styles matched with seasonal winter flavours like apples and pears.

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Mt Cook Alpine Salmon

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon is every discerning chef’s first choice. Whether served raw or cooked, hot or cold-smoked, this exceptional fish is a true hero on any plate. Its natural richness pairs effortlessly with zesty lemon and salty capers, adds depth to a Thai green curry, and shines in a seared Indian-spiced fillet. From delicate crudo and sushi to hearty pasta dishes and tartars, it is extremely versatile.

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Modern Matariki

Look at creating theme nights, or Matariki Feast specials where diners can learn more about this special date and experience its meaning through food. Pair meats like pork and beef, and seafood like salmon, mussels and cockles, with herbs and spices like pikopiko, kawakawa and peppery horopito. Add-ons like fry bread, rewena bread, kūmara, wood ear fungus and mushrooms add texture and flavour.

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Modern Matariki

Look at creating theme nights, or Matariki Feast specials where diners can learn more about this special date and experience its meaning through food. Pair meats like pork and beef, and seafood like salmon, mussels and cockles, with herbs and spices like pikopiko, kawakawa and peppery horopito. Add-ons like fry bread, rewena bread, kūmara, wood ear fungus and mushrooms add texture and flavour.

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Cool winter citrus

While citrus is a delicious main flavour profile in winter, it also punches above its weight elsewhere too. Oven bake or dehydrate fragrant slices for garnish, bottle juices for dessert syrups and drinks, and pep up those wintry dishes with the vibrancy of juicy tangy citrus.  

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Rum for more then just cocktails

Bumbu Caribbean Rum is rich, smooth, and full of tropical flavor—perfect for crafting cocktails or enhancing delicious dishes like caramelised rum and maple pineapple spears or sticky rum chicken nibbles. A true taste of the islands.

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Introduce craft beer to your menu

For those looking to introduce craft beer onto a menu, Parrotdog suggests starting with an approachable selection of styles including a Hazy IPA, Pale Ale and NZ Pilsner. These beers offer familiar flavours with a craft twist, making them great entry points.

Savouring pork in every style

Pork can be cooked in a multitude of ways, including flash frying, low and slow and sous vide to name just a few. It also pairs beautifully with different flavours, from hot and spicy Asian-inspired dishes, to sticky, honeyed American dishes, and comfort food styles matched with seasonal winter flavours like apples and pears.

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Mt Cook Alpine Salmon

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon is every discerning chef’s first choice. Whether served raw or cooked, hot or cold-smoked, this exceptional fish is a true hero on any plate. Its natural richness pairs effortlessly with zesty lemon and salty capers, adds depth to a Thai green curry, and shines in a seared Indian-spiced fillet. From delicate crudo and sushi to hearty pasta dishes and tartars, it is extremely versatile.

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Modern Matariki

Look at creating theme nights, or Matariki Feast specials where diners can learn more about this special date and experience its meaning through food. Pair meats like pork and beef, and seafood like salmon, mussels and cockles, with herbs and spices like pikopiko, kawakawa and peppery horopito. Add-ons like fry bread, rewena bread, kūmara, wood ear fungus and mushrooms add texture and flavour.

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What's in season this winter?

From June to August, the winter months come with an abundance of rich, colourful and earthy produce that opens up a world of creativity in the kitchen. 

Vegetables

Fruit

  • Baby Beetroot

  • Baby Turnips

  • Beetroot

  • Black Garlic

  • Broccoli

  • Broccolini

  • Brussel Sprouts

  • Buttercup Pumpkin

  • Butternut Pumpkin

  • Mushrooms (All Types)

  • Celeriac

  • Kale

  • Kumara

  • Microgreens

  • Truffle

  • Witloof

  • Chestnuts

  • Grapefruit

  • Gold Kiwifruit

  • Green Kiwifruit

  • Lemons

  • Limes

  • Mandarins

  • Oranges

  • Bosc Pears

  • Brown Pears

  • Nashi

  • Persimmons

  • Apples

  • Granny Smith Apples

  • Tamarillo

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Highlights

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Restaurant Feature – Charlotte’s Kitchen of Paihia 

It’s impossible to talk about eateries in the beautiful winterless north without mentioning Charlotte’s Kitchen in Paihia. Established in late 2015, the restaurant was dreamed up by the team from the iconic Duke of Marlborough Hotel in Russell - Read More

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Meet the Grower – Meadow Mushrooms

Originally mocked for being ‘a ridiculous pipe dream’, this family-owned business began with just 11 employees on four hectares of land just south of Christchurch. It grew in both size and popularity over the years, ultimately elevating mushrooms - Read More.

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Chef Frank Tejada

Chef Frank of the iconic Kohi Kitchen and Eatery in Mission Bay Auckland shares his journey and culinary insights with us... 
- Read More.

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Meet the Brewer – Matt from Parrotdog

From home brewing in a Victoria flat to becoming a true Kiwi success story, we catch up with Matt from Parrotdog to hear about their journey, his experiences along the way, and his tips on how to introduce or upgrade your craft beer - Read More.

Need some inspiration?

Check out our latest articles to find out what's been going on at Bidfood, to get new ideas for your menu, and more. 

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