As soon as I posted on my social media that I would be heading to New Zealand as part of Contiki’s six-two community contributor reward scheme, my inbox was flooded with comments from all around the globe telling me that I HAD to go to Fergburger.
Initially, I thought this was strange. Here I was thinking the best things to do in New Zealand would be to visit its stunning landscapes, see the sites from Lord of the Rings and learn all about the traditional Maori culture—not go for a burger. Curious, I typed ‘Fergburger’ into Google and what I saw blew me away. There were dozens, no hundreds of articles describing Fergburger as the best burger on the planet and worthy of a Michelin star. A huge call, but being a foodie myself, I knew I needed to put this on my list of things to do in New Zealand immediately.
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Fast forward a few months and I’m in Queenstown—the home of the legendary Fergburger. Upon arrival, I decided I needed to try the burger ASAP and I was surprised to see a queue stretching for miles. I knew Fergburger was popular, but I didn’t anticipate for it to be this popular. There were people from all around the globe and of all ages excitedly queueing, taking photos, just itching to get their hands on this burger.
I knew I was in for a treat, but alas I was running short on time, so I decided to forgo the queue and save Fergburger for another day. This led me to try the Ferg bakery located next door instead and trust me, the bakery did not disappoint. It was packed with sweet smelling pastries and mouth-watering baguettes and pies. I chose a roasted vegetable, pesto and halloumi baguette and from the first bite I was hooked. Every single flavour was simple, yet done perfectly: the bread was soft on the inside yet crusty on the outside, the vegetables were roasted to sweet, sweet perfection, and the halloumi expertly grilled (I’m drooling just thinking about it).
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I know what you’re thinking—if the Fergbakery was this good then I would be in for a treat with the Fergburger. The next day I went down early to avoid the queues and at 11am it was still pretty full but not on the same scale as the day before. Being a vegetarian, I opted for a ‘Holier than thou’ burger once I finally made it to the front of the line. It’s a tempura tofu burger served in a sesame bun and topped with a peanut and coriander satay sauce, aioli, tomatoes, onions and lettuce. After a short wait, my burger emerged, and it was literally the size of my head (and I’ve got a big head!).
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I was like a child on Christmas Day as I excitedly tore open the brown wrapping of the burger, ready to sink my teeth in. In short, it was delicious and I immediately understood why a visit to Fergburger is a top recommendation. The bun was super fresh, the tempura tofu was crispy and soft in all the right places, the satay sauce expertly crafted and the ratio of sauce to fillings was perfect.
It was one of the best burgers I have tasted, 110% worth the hype it receives. I left feeling full and satisfied. If you are ever in Queenstown, I would strongly recommend you pay a visit (yes, I’m now one of those people).
Pro tip: call and pre-order online so you can cut the queues. Also, don’t skip the Fergbakery as, truthfully, I preferred that to the actual Fergburger. Don’t get me wrong, both places are amazing, but the sweet delicacies and brilliant baguettes at the bakery are what really won me over.
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