Film Crew and Production Catering Across Otago
Film Crew and Production Catering Across Otago is an area of our business we love - here is why it’s so important to both us and the crew.
Good food, wherever the production takes you
Film production rarely happens somewhere straightforward.
It happens before sunrise, halfway up a mountain, beside a lake, down a gravel road or at a location where the weather can change before the coffee has finished brewing. Call times move, schedules shift and lunch needs to fit around the shot—not the other way around.
That’s exactly why we love it.
At Lemon Pie Events, we provide film crew and production catering across Otago, Central Otago and the Queenstown Lakes area. It’s focused, fast-moving work that requires excellent organisation, plenty of flexibility and the ability to deliver genuinely good food in some wonderfully remote locations.
And, by the end of it, we always feel like part of the crew.
We were thrilled to cater this award winning film, with Dunedin NZ, that went on to win international acclaim.
Why production catering matters
A film set is an environment where every person has a job to do and every minute counts.
Long days, early starts and physically demanding locations make good catering far more than a nice extra. Food keeps energy steady, gives the crew a chance to reset and helps the day continue without unnecessary delays.
Done well, production catering supports:
Sustained energy throughout long filming days
Crew morale during demanding schedules
A smoother, more efficient production
Different dietary needs without unnecessary fuss
The flexibility to work around changing call times
Warm, nourishing meals in cold or exposed locations
The catering team needs to understand the pace of production, too. Sometimes everyone arrives at once. Sometimes lunch is delayed because the light is perfect. Sometimes the entire plan changes.
You have to stay focused, adaptable and calm—and always be ready when the crew is.
Whether you need catering for a fixed venue or food that can travel with you, we can adapt to any setting.
Catering built around the production
No two filming days are the same, so we don’t believe in forcing productions into a standard catering format.
We work with production teams to understand the location, crew numbers, timings, dietary requirements and practical realities of each shoot. From breakfasts and morning teas to substantial lunches, afternoon pick-me-ups and full-day catering, everything is planned around the people and the production schedule.
Our menus can include a mix of:
Early-morning breakfasts and hot drinks
Fresh baking and substantial morning teas
Nourishing lunches designed for long days
Individually packaged or easy-to-serve options
Snacks and grazing food for changing schedules
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other dietary alternatives
Hot meals for colder shoots and exposed locations
The food still needs to look beautiful and taste great, but it also has to travel well, serve efficiently and keep the crew going. That balance is where experience makes a real difference.
Remote filming locations like this beach in Dunedin demand creativity and smart thinking to keep the crew fuelled.
From Dunedin to Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes
Otago is an extraordinary place to film—and an equally interesting place to cater.
Our region offers everything from Dunedin’s heritage architecture and dramatic coastline to the alpine landscapes of Central Otago, Wānaka and Queenstown. Those locations create incredible footage, but they can also bring narrow access roads, limited facilities, unpredictable weather and long distances between services.
Production catering in Otago requires local knowledge and careful planning. We think through transport, food safety, serving logistics, weather contingencies and what will actually work at the location—not simply what looks good on a menu.
Whether the crew is filming in Dunedin, Cromwell, Alexandra, Wānaka, Queenstown, the Maniototo or somewhere well beyond the nearest sealed road, our job is to make sure the food arrives ready and the production team feels looked after.
Proud to be part of an award-winning production
We were thrilled to provide catering for a recent Dunedin City Council film production that went on to win Gold for Best City Promotion at the US International Awards and was accepted into further international festivals.
While our role happened behind the scenes, that’s one of the things we enjoy most about production work. Everyone contributes their particular skills toward the same result. The directors, camera crew, talent, production team, location support—and yes, the people making sure everyone is properly fed.
We were told that, as the caterer, we were essentially part of the crew. We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.
Seeing the finished film and watching it receive international recognition was incredibly special. It reminded us how much work goes into creating just a few minutes of exceptional footage—and how valuable it is to have reliable people supporting every part of that process.
Lunch with a view, while filming on the beach in Dunedin with the incredible crew from Dunedin NZ.
Flexible, focused and ready to adapt
Film catering requires a tonne of focus.
Numbers need to be correct. Dietary requirements need to be clearly managed. Food needs to stay fresh and safe while travelling. Timing matters, even when the timing changes. And the catering needs to fit naturally into the production rather than becoming another thing the team has to manage.
We genuinely enjoy that challenge.
We’re comfortable adjusting as the day unfolds, working in unfamiliar environments and finding practical solutions when conditions aren’t quite what anyone expected. Our aim is to make catering one part of the production that feels easy.
You tell us where the crew will be, what the schedule looks like and what needs to be covered. We’ll help work through the rest.
Film crew catering that keeps the day moving
Great production catering isn’t about making a fuss. It’s about arriving prepared, serving food people genuinely want to eat and understanding what the crew needs to do their best work.
Sometimes that means a hearty breakfast before a dawn shoot. Sometimes it’s a hot lunch in the middle of an Otago winter. Sometimes it’s food that can be picked up quickly between takes. Often, it’s all three.
Whatever the production involves, we bring warmth, flexibility and plenty of good food to the table—even when the table happens to be in the middle of nowhere.
Looking for film or production catering in Otago?
Lemon Pie Events provides location and film crew catering throughout Dunedin, Otago, Central Otago and the Queenstown Lakes region.
From short commercial shoots to multi-day film productions, we can create a practical catering plan shaped around your crew, locations and schedule.
If you’re planning a production in the region, get in touch with Anna to discuss the details. We’d love to become part of your crew.