As if we aren’t fooded out at the moment with all the WOAP preps, the annual Monteith’s Wild Food Challenge starts on 1 July.

Yep, next week.

Check out the website here listing all your local outlets and options (but have a plethora of swear words ready for trying to navigate easily between the Wellington region outlets), how to grab a $50 voucher to use at any location for $35 (only 500 available), and maybe even win a $5,000 wild experience (you will definitely need to be channeling your inner southern man or woman should you win that).

I’m liking the sound of:

  • Cornerstore MonteithsTHE CORNERSTORE’S RED PIE AT NIGHT, SHEPHERDS DELIGHT MATCHED WITH MONTEITH’S BARREL AGED PORTER

Pinot noir slow braised free range lamb and leek pie topped with a Brezelmania brioche and kingsmeade sunset blue cheese crumb served with smoked kumara mash and a Monteith’s Brewers Series Porter jus.

  • BOOMROCK’S WILD GOOSE CHASE MATCHED WITH MONTEITH’S DOPPELBOCK WINTER ALE

Canadian goose, paua wonton, foraged coastal spinach and nastertium with seaweed caviar, parsnip puree and fried quail egg.

  • SUPPLY ROOM’S (MANA) DUCK QUEUE MATCHED WITH MONTEITH’S BLACK BEER

Seared Duck breast with orange glaze, seated on a queue of potato & garlic parmesan gratin cakes. Finished with roast vege and a red cabbage sauce.

  • MISH MOSH’S FISHERMANS BASKET MATCHED WITH MONTEITH’S BOHEMIAN PILSNER

Monteith’s Bohemian Pilsner beer battered snapper fillet with butter and garlic fried crayfish medallions, avocado and horopito mousse, rustic tartar, greens and a side of parmesan and rosemary potato skins.

  • Ortega Monteiths entryORTEGA’S HONE-LEFT-KIM-IN-CHARGE-OF-THE-BOIL-UP MATCHED WITH MONTEITH’S CRUSHED APPLE CIDER

Wild Red deer, pork & Monteith’s cider sausage, Fallow venison silverside, house cured sauerkraut, wild boar pancetta, Schnebel Kuh & puha dumplings, Wainuiomata stream watercress.

  • SOUTHERN CROSS’S PHEASANTLY SURPRISED MATCHED WITH MONTEITH’S DOPPELBOCK WINTER ALE

Pheasant cooked four ways: Confit leg with wild mushroom ragout; Tenderloin boudin blanc infused with orange zest, cinnamon and sage; Wild boar bacon and gizzard pate with a cranberry and chocolate glaze; Wild boar bacon-wrapped supreme filled with a water chestnut farce, braised baby leeks and a Doppelbock jus.

Man (or woman) up!