When Josiah and Rachel Smits saw the judges going back for seconds and then thirds, they knew they had plated up something pretty special.
Motueka restaurant The Smoking Barrel was crowned the winner of the national Monteith’s Wild Food Challenge last week, after wowing the judges with their Wild Pitmasters Smoked Platter.
Owners Josiah and Rachel flew to Auckland last Tuesday, and competed in the challenge on Wednesday, before flying home the same night with the trophy safely stowed in their luggage.
Josiah, who is also the restaurant’s head chef, says that before the competition, “the nerves were pretty real,” but those fell away once they arrived at the venue and started to unpack.
“It was just about trying to enjoy the moment.”
The five competitors had their meals largely prepped before the competition, and they were given 20 minutes to pull their entries together. It wasn’t a Masterchef level of intensity though, Josiah reckons – people politely took turns with the kitchen equipment, and no one was yelling how many minutes were left on the clock.
He was proud of how everything came together for his platter, which included wild pulled pork shoulder and smoked venison from the Marlborough high country, together with crispy-fried duck wings, kamo-kamo sourced from Te Āwhina Marae, dry cured wild boar bacon, wild honey, horopito, mint, local apples, and wild fennel which the couple had picked from the side of the road on their way to the airport.
Part of their presentation was utilising handwoven kono or food baskets, courtesy of local weaver Michaela Lobban, which helped tie together their local food story, Josiah says.
The judging panel featured renowned chef Ben Bayly, spear fisherman and marine biologist Sam Wild, and the founder of West Coast Pies Co Emily Lucas. Ben said the 2025 entries were “truly next level, but the winning dish just nailed it”.
“The Smoking Barrel’s dish truly stood out. It told a compelling story and beautifully tied in elements of nature. You could see and taste the connection. The passion behind it was clear, and it was a perfect match with the [Monteith’s Phoenix] IPA. Every flavour on the plate was considered and delicious, with a great sense of variety and balance. It had that ideal mix of foraged and wild ingredients.”
The $15,000 prize money has been earmarked for an as-yet unscheduled family trip to Texas – “the mecca of American barbeque,” to gain further inspiration, Josiah says.
In the meantime, The Smoking Barrel menu will retain its wild influence for the next few weeks to give patrons a taster of what so impressed the judges in Auckland.
Josiah was thrilled to have his wife Rachel, who is usually behind the scenes at the restaurant, as his sous chef during the competition, as The Smoking Barrel has been a shared journey for the couple.
“I couldn’t do what I do without her beside me,” he says. “She believes in me so much, and gave me the push I needed to go for it.”
He also credits his Smoking Barrel team for the restaurant’s continued success and popularity, saying he relies on the staff to craft and sell the dishes and “encourage customers to try new things”.
The restaurant celebrated its ninth anniversary this month, and Josiah says that they have always aimed to “create food memories for people, that you just can’t experience at any other place”.
The other Wild Foods finalists hailed from Saints in Hanmer Springs, Christchurch Casino, Black Label BBQ in Rotorua, and Thirsty Acres in Kirwee.
The five finalists were selected from over 100 entrants to the competition, which returned this year after an 11-year hiatus.
