Gilbert's Fine Food

30/03/2026

If you know of anyone looking for a new van, we may have just the one that's needed!

2014 Toyota Hiace van with an exceptionally low 18,331 km. Manual transmission, mechanically excellent and very well maintained. The van is in great overall con...

13/03/2026

Founded in 1819, Ca***er is Switzerland’s oldest chocolate brand — part of the early wave of makers who helped define what Swiss chocolate would become.

In 1875, Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter - François-Louis Ca***er’s son-in-law - solved a problem that had frustrated confectioners for years — how to combine milk with chocolate without spoilage.

His invention transformed not only Swiss chocolate, but the global market.

Stories like this are part of how we explore Switzerland — through innovation as much as flavour.

Experience it for yourself with Appetite Journeys.
Learn more at appetitejourneys.nz

04/03/2026

Walking through Spalentor isn’t just passing a landmark — it’s crossing from one era into another.

Built in the 14th century, this gate once marked the edge of the city. Today, it quietly connects medieval Basel with the life of Spalenvorstadt beyond.

We visit Basel not to tick off sights, but to understand how history still shapes daily life.

Join us and experience Switzerland beyond the surface.
Discover our journeys at appetitejourneys.nz

11/02/2026

House of Travel Dunedin City is hosting an inspiring travel presentation with Robyn Galloway, founder of Innovative Travel — a New Zealand-based destination specialist with over 35 years’ experience designing journeys to Egypt (including the new Grand Egyptian Museum), Jordan, Morocco and Turkey.

We’ve also been invited to open the evening with a brief introduction to Appetite Journeys — sharing how we approach travel differently: through food, culture and small-group experiences that connect you more deeply to place.

If you’re considering your next trip — or simply enjoy hearing from true travel specialists — this will be a worthwhile evening.

📍 Edgar Centre, 116 Portsmouth Drive
🗓 Wednesday 18 February
🕡 6:30pm

RSVP Here: https://tinyurl.com/uunh5t62

06/02/2026

Paper-thin, golden, and dusted with sugar — Fastnachtschüechli arrive every February, filling Swiss bakeries like little edible celebrations.

Delicately fried until crisp and impossibly light, these carnival fritters are a seasonal treat. Blink and they’re gone.

Crunchy, sweet, and tied to centuries of tradition — they’re Switzerland’s way of welcoming the joy of Fasnacht.

Appetite Journeys — where festivals meet flavour.

01/02/2026

Ask a Swiss person how to cut a cervelat for the grill and you’ll get a very confident answer.

Two big slits?
Four little petals?
The “Alpine star?”
Something more… creative?

Everyone has a technique — and everyone is sure theirs is the right one.

How do you cut yours?

Appetite Journeys — where rituals meet the fire.

29/01/2026

We’ve just released a new Appetite Journeys tour — and it’s a quietly indulgent one.

Travelling from Zürich to Vienna via the Black Forest, this 17-day journey explores Central Europe through its great baking traditions — where cakes aren’t dessert, they’re cultural landmarks. From Black Forest cake to Sachertorte, each stop reveals the stories, places, and people behind the region’s most iconic flavours.

It’s the newest addition to the Appetite Journeys collection, and we’re opening it first to our social networks, ahead of wider advertising.

And to mark the release, we’ve also added some tour dates across our other upcoming journeys.

🍰 Discover the new tour — and explore the rest here: www.appetitejourneys.nz

04/01/2026

A few years ago, import rules forced Swiss producers to change the natural skin on cervelats — and suddenly, they didn’t curl on the grill.
And Switzerland… noticed.

The uproar was real. Newspapers covered it. Politicians debated it.
The “flat cervelat” became a national crisis.

Order was restored, of course.
Because in Switzerland, some traditions are non-negotiable.

Appetite Journeys — where the small things matter.

14/12/2025

Fondue isn’t a single dish — it’s a whole family of proudly regional traditions.

There’s moitié-moitié from Fribourg,
the rich Gruyère blends,
the strong Appenzeller style,
tomato fondue in Valais,
fondue chinoise for festive gatherings,
and fondue bourguignonne when you’re in more of a “cook your own steak at the table” mood.

And then there’s chocolate… which is not a fondue.
It’s dessert.
Or for coffee.
Or with tea.
Or as a snack on a hike.
Or while waiting for the bus.
(For the Swiss, Chocolate is an all-occasions food — just not a fondue.)

Every canton has their version, every family has their favourite, and every pot tells a story.

Appetite Journeys — where traditions melt beautifully.

10/12/2025

In Switzerland, greetings are geography.

“Grüezi”
“Grüessech”
“Hoi”
“Hi zäme”
“Salü”
“Sali”
"Jour"

A single word reveals your region, your roots, and sometimes your age.
It’s a cultural code — spoken before you even say your name.

Appetite Journeys — where language meets identity.

07/12/2025

Meet the cervelat: grilled at picnics, eaten on school trips, cooked on campfires, and loved across every canton.

It’s more than a sausage — it’s a Swiss cultural anchor.
Every family has a favourite brand. Every child learns how to cut it for grilling. Every summer includes one.

Simple, smoky, comforting. The Swiss classic for a reason.

Appetite Journeys — where comfort meets culture.