The Great NZ Toastie Takeover judges are deliberating on which cafés, restaurants, bars and eateries are behind Aoteatora's best toasties. In the meantime, you can get the recipes direct from the source.

There's nothing like a good cheesy toastie for a classic Kiwi meal. The Great NZ Toastie Takeover is an annual competition to find the best one in New Zealand. The criteria are that the toastie has to be sandwiched between two slices of bread and able to be eaten by hand if necessary. Each toastie must also contain cheese and McClure's Pickles.

We highly encourage you to get out around your area and try some of the toasties entered in the competiton, and if you're a home toastie maestro you can check out recipes for previous winners and chef-designed toasties on the Great NZ Toastie Takeover website. Recipes include mushroom toasties, lamb toasties,  grilled sourdough with chicken parmesan, and more.

The 12 finalists will be announced on July 1. The supreme winner will be announced on July 30.
toastietakeover.com