From her beginnings as a teacher to opening Dunedin’s first café in the 1980s, Judith Cullen has always had a gift for bringing people together through food and hospitality. Now based in Central Otago, she balances life in her riverside home and garden with leading tours through Europe’s celebrated food and wine regions. In this conversation, Judith shares what first brought her to Tarras, how Central shapes her outlook, and the journeys that continue to inspire her.
What first brought you to Tarras, and what has made Central Otago home for you?
We bought our house in 2017. For years we’d admired it from the other side of the river on our drives to Wanaka, and when we spotted it for sale in the paper, we thought, why not? We weren’t quite ready to move at the time, so we rented it out for a couple of years before saying goodbye to our much-loved home in St Clair, Dunedin, where we’d lived with our family for 34 years.
Central Otago has always been part of our lives — for holidays, skiing trips, and family time. The weather and the landscape definitely drew us here, but more than anything, we wanted to be out in the country where we could carry on with something we’ve always loved: gardening.
How does living in Central Otago influence your outlook on food, travel, and hospitality?
The bounty of Central Otago really is a dream. Living in a place where you get to experience all four seasons so vividly feels pretty special. The vineyards, orchards, farms, and wide-open landscapes provide so much, with something new to enjoy in every season.
We love growing our own produce — from the prolific huge onions, garlic, and potatoes that keep us going all year, to the summer’s abundance that we turn into jams, jellies, chutneys, or preserve in bottles and the freezer. There’s something so satisfying about planning meals around what’s in the garden, and it’s even better when we can share the extra with friends and family.
How did your love for food and travel begin, and what inspired you to start your food tours?
Going back to the beginning, I was hugely influenced by my mother, who I suppose you’d call a wonderful homemaker. After teaching Economics for eight years, I decided to follow another passion and, in 1985, opened Dunedin’s first café —’ Partners’. Eight years and three children later, we headed to Bristol for a year, where I was introduced to the food, culture, and traditions of Europe.
When we returned to New Zealand, I began running cooking classes —always in my own home and other times across Otago and Southland. I focused on regional, seasonal produce, and it became something I truly loved. Those classes kept me busy (and inspired!) for the next 20 years.
Travel has also been a big part of my life since 2004. It all began when a Dunedin travel agent suggested I join a trip — and I put my hand up. Over the years I worked alongside an Italian tour guide, and then in 2013, with the help of my dear friend Charles Barkla, I began creating my own tours. Food, wine, and gardens were always at the heart of these journeys, but what made them really special were the insider experiences and the many exceptional private visits we were able to share along the way.
Do you have a favourite country or region whose food traditions you find yourself returning to again and again?
Over the years, my tours have taken me to many wonderful places — including regions of Australia, Italy, France, Scotland, and Turkey. These days, I mostly return to Italy and France each year, with each tour shaped around the particular regions I choose to focus on.
Philip and I always spend plenty of time researching before putting an itinerary together — it’s a part of the process we really enjoy. Turkey has long been a favourite destination, and while I haven’t managed to get back to Scotland recently, it’s still very much on my wish list.
What does life at home in Central Otago look like when you’re not travelling? Are there rituals or routines you cherish after being abroad?
Our house looks out over the Clutha River, and I feel very spoilt being able to sit in the sun with that view while working on my tours and with my favourite gardens books and magazines. The garden, though, has turned out to be quite a project. We’ve focused on planting trees and shrubs for food production, along with a big vegetable garden and a productive greenhouse. Native trees and grasses play a big part as does my crazy cut flower patch in the summer.
After four years of creating and planting, the hard work is done — now it’s just a matter of letting everything grow.
As for routine… I can’t really say I have one. We often have people over for dinner, which we love, and keep saying we should make more time to play golf — though the garden tends to win most days!
As we step into spring, what are you most excited to see coming up in the garden, and is there a favourite dish you love to cook that celebrates this seasonal shift?
Before I head off on tours — usually for two or three months each June, July, and August — the Central Otago climate means the garden can happily look after itself. In autumn I make sure to plant bulbs, so when we return in spring, the garden is already waking up. One of my little projects at the moment is developing a mass planting of Galanthus(snowdrops) along our driveway, which is lined with white-stemmed Jacquemontii birches and red-stemmed cornus. I just love that combination — it really brings a sense of spring to the air.
And when it comes to food, it has to be new season’s asparagus. Our asparagus bed is now producing well, and for six weeks each year it’s an absolute treat.
And finally are there new destinations or food experiences on the horizon for your tours that you’re especially excited about?
In 2026 I’ll be running two tours. The Italian tour will return to Puglia, Abruzzo, Umbria, and Emilia Romagna — regions where the food, wine, and gardens are simply wonderful. A highlight is always our week at Masseria Pistola in Puglia, which feels like such a special place.
The French tour will take in three fabulous regions: Beaune in Burgundy, the Loire, and finally a stay in a château in Normandy — a magical way to end the journey.
We’ve also been spending time exploring Spain, and it would be lovely to include it in the future.
Learn more about Judith and her amazing food tours here.
Follow Judith @judithcullencooksandtravels
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