A guide, where to go for fresh fruit and roadside stalls in Central Otago

8 roadside stalls in Cromwell and nearby

Cherry red sweetness bursts onto the taste buds. The apricot with tangy sun ripened joy lingers on the palate. The roadside stall is a rite of summer holidays and alive and well in Central Otago. In fact it is a very good reason to holiday down south in one of New Zealand’s premier fruit bowls. On the road with the sheer joy of sun ripened fruit stalls aplenty for you to sate summer goodness cravings, it doesn’t get any better. Here are eight places to get started; however, the rule of roadside stalls is that there is always another great stall down the road ready for you to check out.

1. Benjer Drinks Co

Benjer Drinks has been juicing fruit in Central Otago for almost 20 years. Now residing in Cromwell on SH8B the range includes 9 amazing juiced fruit flavours. Most of the fruit is grown in and around Cromwell, by local growers, which is crushed and bottled in our factory. Local factory sales from the attached cafe is a must go destination for kids, families and anyone who savours fresh fruit juices.

Pick up a chilled container and stock up for the road.

@benjerjuices

2. Freeway Orchard

The orchard grows cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, greengages, apples and pears. These can be purchased in season. Clean toilets and a picnic and rest area are available.

Freshly crushed fruit ice creams, wheat grass shots and freshly squeezed fruit juices while you wait. The shop has an extensive range of dried fruit, honey, nuts, preserves and fresh vegetables.

Kids will enjoy the amazing glass beehive in store. See if you can spot the queen and watch the worker bees as they produce honey.

@Freeway Orchard

3. Dam Good Fruit

Want to pick your own, PYO then this is the place for you. Cherries, apricots, peaches and other stone fruit. Also available as pre-packs in the roadside stall. Dam Good Fruit.

@damgoodfruitcromwell

4. Hobbs Family Partnership Orchard

Hobbs Family Partnership Orchard is slightly out of town (Cromwell) another well known PYO orchard. As well as maintaining a well stocked Fruit Stall the  PYO (Pick Your Own) is available for apricots, peaches and nectarines.

@hobbsfamilyorchard

5. Sarita Orchard

Cherry cravings anyone. The short season, the luscious cherry, is the queen of November / December. The specialist orchard has roadside stall sales. Sarita Orchard roadside fruit stall sells the finest fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, dried fruit, handmade jams, sauces and chutneys. Orchard shop is open from October until the end of May.

Sarita Orchard @Central Otago

6. Jackson Orchard

The perfect place to introduce kids (and yourself) to the life of an orchardist and the growing of fruit. Travel on board Jackson Orchards’ yellow electric bus for a 45 minute fun, informative and educational insight into this working orchard; one of NZ’s largest apricot exporters. Book beforehand.

@Jackson Orchards

7. Webbs Fruit

Cromwell’s enormous fruit sculpture is modelled on Webbs apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums, apples and pears Since 1914, the Webb stone fruit (also called summerfruit) and pipfruit orchard has occupied the same sunny slopes on the outskirts of the Central Otago town of Cromwell, recognised throughout New Zealand for its much-photographed ‘Big Fruit’ sculpture.

@webbs_fruit

8. Jones Family Fruit Stall

Jones Family Fruit stall is a visitor favourite for its glorious garden of roses and spaces for impromptu picnics in the shady corners of the garden. The fruit stall markets the best of Cromwell and district fruit, chutneys, dried fruit, nuts and honey products. The stall offers fresh fruit ice creams in summer.

@suncrestorchardnz

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