New ownership of Wānaka burger bar Red Star has led to a refreshed line up of fast food options at the popular downtown eatery. Local operators of food truck Burrito Craft Julia and Mark Magee took over the venture in June from Scotty and Ash Bickley.

“We had joked with Scotty over the years that if he ever wanted to sell Red Star we would buy it and in January this year he got in contact to say he was ready to go,” says Julia. “For us the timing was perfect as Burrito Craft is nearly ten years old with an excellent team running it and Mark and I were in a position to take the next step.”

The couple are relishing the opportunity to stamp their mark on the burger bar that has been a Wānaka institution since it was established in 2004.

“We both have a lot of passion and time for the food industry and Mark has always loved making burgers so this is the perfect business for us to take on in addition to Burrito Craft. Since taking over we have progressively made small improvements to the menu and are currently working on a kitchen upgrade that will allow us to make additional changes by the end of the year,” says Julia.

A dozen premium style burgers are on the menu including beef, chicken, a kid’s burger and two vegetarian options.

“They are really good value burgers – big and full of tasty and delicious ingredients. We have developed our own special blend of mince for the patties which we created with our beef supplier to ensure the best flavour and textures.”

“We work closely with the Wānaka New World bakery to ensure a fresh supply of quality burger buns daily and use locally sourced ingredients where possible for our inhouse crafted sauces.”

As Wānaka’s only dedicated burger bar the licensed Ardmore Street outlet is open every day from 12.00pm until 8.30pm selling burgers, fries, craft beers, cider and ginger beer.

“We seat up to 15 people inside and 25 outside so it’s great for families or larger groups with orders also available online,” says Julia. “This is a great project and we’re loving being in the kitchen, developing new recipes, meeting customers and expanding our business footprint.”