Queenstown’s renowned fine food outlet Raeward Fresh has recently rebranded as McKibbon’s by Royalburn influenced by a new partnership between owners Jono and Jess Ettema and well-known local organic farmers and foodies Nadia Lim and Carlos Bagrie.

Raeward Fresh has long been a landmark locals’ food store and with the imminent closing of its brand the Ettemas reached out to Nadia and Carlos suggesting they collaborate in a partnership.

“It was serendipity really,” says Carlos. “We have been running our Royalburn Farm Shop in Arrowtown very successfully for three years and thinking about our next store. Nadia and I always considered Raeward Fresh, formerly the Mediterranean Market, was a fantastic food market and a piece of the puzzle fell into place for us.”

In naming the new enterprise they looked to the past for a personal link – pioneering farmer William McKibbon who was the first to break in Royalburn Station on the Crown Terrace in the 1880s was an obvious choice.

“It felt right to anchor our venture with his name. The station has a legacy of excellence in farming and fresh produce and it is significant to profile this rich heritage,” says Carlos.

McKibbon’s sells Royalburn’s lamb, organic vegetables, honey, eggs and oils as well as their own craft beer Swifty’s. The store has a diverse range of other high-quality products from both local, national and international suppliers which it will continue to offer underlining it as the home of good food.

“Besides our Royalburn lamb we sell beef, fresh fish and chicken. There is an in house butcher and florist and the store has always been renowned for its quality product and services. We want to create an environment at McKibbon’s which is both convenient and enjoyable, where shoppers can relax in the café and plan a meal with all the ingredients available instore. Instead of offering bulk commodities we take the best of what we can find and sell  it at prices that are accessible,” says Carlos. “That’s our unique selling point.”

Supporting Local

McKibbon’s by Royalburn is all about supporting local producers and suppliers, the very best in the province, according to store co-owner Nadia Lim.

“We have some amazing producers in Queenstown, Wānaka and Central Otago and  we are very excited to work with smaller producers in the region. Our ethos at our Royalburn Farm Shop has always been to source products locally and we can expand on that with McKibbon’s.”

She says the Arrowtown shop and McKibbon’s are very similar both operating as independent grocery stores. 

“ It is a privilege to collaborate with such talented and passionate food enthusiasts as Jess and Jono Ettema who share our commitment to bringing the very best to our community.”