Fergbaker holds down 40 Shotover Street, right in the heart of Queenstown, and it comes with a serious pedigree. It is part of the Ferg family of venues - Fergburger at 42, Ferg's Bar at 44, the Mrs Ferg gelateria and the Fergbutcher in Arrowtown - all flying the same banner: 'In Ferg We Trust'. While its burger sibling next door draws the famous queue, the bakery at number 40 plays a quieter but just as important role: keeping the town supplied with pies, pastries, breads and sweets, open every day from 6am to 2am.
The pie cabinet is the headline act. Hand-sized pies are built on prime New Zealand rump braised in caramelised onion and cracked pepper gravy, slow-cooked lamb with the native Horopito herb, Fiordland venison in red wine, slow-roasted pork belly and a vegetarian lentil and mushroom bolognaise - plus a sausage roll pairing ground pork shoulder with minced beef brisket. Alongside sit the Viennese favourites - croissants, chocolate and almond croissants, cinnamon and prosciutto Danishes - and a full bakery counter of sourdough loaves, baguettes, bagels, pretzels, focaccia and pizza slices.
There is plenty for the sweet tooth too, from chocolate mud cake, lemon meringue and vanilla slice to eclairs, cookies, Anzacs and donuts, with toasted sandwiches, breakfast wraps and smoked salmon bagels for something more substantial. Whether it is a 6am croissant before a day in the mountains or a hot pie at 1am after a long night out, Fergbaker's hours make it one of the most dependable counters in Queenstown - no booking, no fuss, just good baking whenever you need it.
Fergbaker sits at 40 Shotover Street, right in the middle of Queenstown, and it comes with a pedigree. It is part of the Ferg family of venues - Fergburger at 42, Ferg's Bar at 44, the Mrs Ferg gelateria and the Fergbutcher in Arrowtown - all operating under the same banner: 'In Ferg We Trust'. While the burger joint a few doors up has become world-famous for its queue, the bakery at number 40 plays a quieter but just as important role: keeping the town fed with proper baking from 6am until 2am, every single day of the week.
If one thing defines Fergbaker, it is the pies. The Ferg Pie sets the standard: prime New Zealand rump, hand diced and braised in a caramelised onion and cracked pepper gravy. From there the range fans out. Ferg & Cheese adds tasty cheddar to that same braised beef. Steak, Mushroom & Blue Cheese brings prime rump, field mushrooms and blue cheese together in a dijon cream sauce, while Chicken, Bacon & Mushroom pairs tender chicken thighs with a creamy white sauce.
For a taste of the South Island, look to the Lamb Kumara & Horopito - slow cooked lamb shoulder and roasted sweet potato in a gravy spiced with Horopito, a native New Zealand herb - or the Venison & Portabello Mushroom, with Fiordland deer shoulder braised in red wine alongside roasted portobello mushrooms and caramelised onion marmalade. There is slow-roasted Pork Belly in a caramelised apple and dijon mustard sauce, a Chilli, Beef & Cheese loaded with jalapenos, kidney beans, cheddar and sour cream, and a Vegetarian Lentil & Mushroom Bolognaise made with dairy free cheddar. Classic Mince, Mince & Cheese and the dual-meat Sausage Roll - ground pork shoulder and minced beef brisket, 'best of both worlds' - round out the cabinet.
The doors open at 6am, and the morning belongs to the Viennese shelf: plain croissants, chocolate, almond and chocolate almond croissants, plus cinnamon, vegetarian and prosciutto Danishes. If you want something heartier, the sandwich list covers a Bacon & Egg Bap with tomato relish and aioli, a Breakfast Wrap loaded with bacon, chorizo, scrambled eggs and hash brown, a Smoked Salmon Bagel with smashed avocado and capers, and a Prosciutto Ficelle with emmentaler and dijon. There are lighter, plant-based options too, including a Mexican Bean Wrap and a vegan-marked Quinoa & Black Bean Focaccia.
The bread counter is worth a detour on its own. Loaves come in sourdough (plain, walnut, soy & linseed), German multigrain, potato & rosemary, white and wholemeal, alongside ciabatta, French, sourdough and potato & rosemary baguettes, jalapeno and sesame bagels, pretzels - including a giant sharing-size one - focaccia in garlic & parmesan and pesto & tomato, and pizza slices by the piece.
Sweet tooths are equally covered. The cake lineup runs from chocolate mud cake and lemon meringue to carrot cake, white chocolate cheesecake, an orange flourless cake and the very Kiwi lolly cake, with vanilla slice, chocolate and caramel eclairs, brownies, assorted tarts and muffins nearby. Biscuits cover the classics - Anzacs, double chocolate and white chocolate & cranberry cookies, gingerbread men - and the donut tray holds Boston cream, fresh cream, sprinkle and chocolate versions.
Fergbaker is a walk-in, counter-service affair: order, grab a paper bag or a box, and you are on your way. Its hours are the real magic. Opening at 6am makes it a natural first stop before a day of hiking, skiing or sightseeing; trading until 2am makes it one of the only places in town where a hot pie or a sausage roll is still on the table long after most kitchens have closed.
Because it sits on the same stretch of Shotover Street as Fergburger and Ferg's Bar, many visitors build a whole Ferg itinerary - a croissant to start the day, a famous burger at 42, a nightcap at 44, and a pie on the walk home. Locals, meanwhile, tend to come for the bread: a sourdough or walnut loaf under the arm and a bag of Anzacs for the pantry.
You will find Fergbaker at 40 Shotover Street, Queenstown, open every day from 6am to 2am. No reservations needed - just turn up hungry.