Finalists Announced in The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover
4 August 2025 — The 2025 finalists in the hunt to find the best toasted sandwich in Aotearoa have been chosen.
For the past 43 days, judges of The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover have travelled the country, tasting and testing cheesy, melty, outrageously delicious and sometimes unexpectedly original toasted sandwiches. Eateries as far north as Whangārei and as far south as Te Anau created special sandos in their quest to be crowned supreme winner. Their creations showcased McClure’s pickles and ingredients such as eel, prawns, duck pâté, kimchi, horopito, lovingly paired with melted cheese and two slices of bread.
It wasn’t easy to narrow the list down — with 208 entries participating, this year is the biggest Toastie Takeover ever — but the judges settled on 13 finalists. They are:
The Dipper | Longroom, Auckland
McChickle & Bacon | Toast on the Green, Auckland
Hogget Stuck in Spelt | Lime Cafe, Rotorua
Braised Birria Brotha | Capers Cafe + Store, Rotorua
Pulled in the Paddock | Jimmy Coops, Taupō
Prawn Toastie | Madame Social, Napier
The MacRib Toastie | Best Burgers, Havelock North
Reuben’s Rudolph | The Offering, Greytown
Piggy Bank | The Offering at Moore Wilsons, Masterton
The Marrakesh Melt | The Jellyfish, Māpua
Smoked Wagyu Brisket Toastie | The Cafe at Christchurch Casino, Christchurch
Ms Mac McClure | Johnny Crema, Queenstown
This Pickle's on Fire | All Good Bagels, Queenstown
“Just when we thought they could not get any better, Kiwi creatives have yet again raised the bar,” says head judge Kerry Tyack. “Throughout the motu, the judging team have munched their way through dozens of terrific toasties full of goodness, flavour and, on more occasions than ever, sensational surprises. The care and attention to get the balance of flavours right has been particularly impressive, while the increased focus on making the pickles sing has blown us away. The result is more interesting fillings, better eat-ability and higher scores all round.”
Each of the toasties in the final will be available on menus until 20 August. The supreme winner will be announced on 20 August, with the winner enjoying the mantle of the best toastie maker in the country for the next 12 months.
The judging panel also highly recommended the toasties served at:
Origin, Waipu
Chuffed, Auckland
The Kosher Deli / Sam's Bagels, Auckland
Okere Falls Store + Craft Beer Garden, Okere Falls
Mr. Wolf, Rotorua
Sudima Hotel, Rotorua
Shadehouse Cafe, Rotorua
Frank Bar & Eatery, Whanganui
The Arborist, Wellington
Double Vision, Wellington
Bacon Bros, Christchurch
Coffee Culture, Christchurch
b.social, Wānaka
Kea Cafe, Te Anau
Whitestone Diner & Deli, Oamaru