Organisers of the worldwide series of Local Wild Food Challenges have been "amazed" by the passion and creativity seen at the weekend's inaugural Glenorchy event, and want to reoeat it next year.
The competition challenged people to create the best dish they could featuring at least one wild ingredient and drew 23 competitors and many more spectators to the Glenorchy Cafe on Saturday afternoon.
Organiser Bill Manson, of the United States, said the event had been a success, "with local people coming to celebrate their good fortune to be here in Glenorchy".
He held the first competition off the east coast of the United States in 2008 at Martha's Vineyard, Eastbourne, and has started another leg of the challenge in Finland.
The contest's aim is to get people out into the wild and to think about the connection between their food and the environment.
However, in the challenges to date he said he had not seen the likes of what Glenorchy produced.
"It was incredible - these guys spent so much time and put so much imagination into gathering the food and coming up with the ideas."
Shaun Fa'Amalepe, of Arrowtown, was the overall winner with his dish of poached fillet of lemon sole and muttonbird duo sourced from a hunting expedition to Southland and Titi Island, near Stewart Island.
