Five Stags Cromwell at The Gate tourist centre on the corner of Highway 8B and Barry Ave has evolved from the need to provide honest, hard-working locals and travelling folk a welcoming, family friendly place to grab a cold pint, a glass of wine or a great feed and share stories about their day or week.

The Hunting Lodge theme created by Lion, one of Australasia’s largest food and beverage companies, could not be more appropriate for the way such décor features as rough-hewn and other timbers, old hunting photographs and historic memorabilia reflect the story of Cromwell and Central Otago region. A wall in the restaurant succinctly explains why in this part of New Zealand, the rabbit continues to be the farmer’s arch enemy.