‘Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham’ Recap – ‘Taste of New Zealand’

8/26/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Graham McTavish and Sam Heughan in Episode 203 of ‘Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham’ – ‘Taste of New Zealnd’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 203 of ‘Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

There are a great many reasons that people hit the road to enjoy a roadtrip. For some… it’s about the chance to just get away from it all and immerse themselves in a corner of the world that they know nothing of. For others, it’s about the experience and the chance to learn, since we can in fact, immerse ourselves in the local culture that we are visiting, and soak up its wonder and take its lessons home when we must bid farewell to our destination. But of the many reasons we hit the road, there is one above all that we all share in. In that, we cannot wait to sample the local cuisine at our destination and enjoy what that has to offer. Because food is the just the best, especially the kind that is local and that we know nothing about.

If anything, that particularly delightful and delicious aspect of the roadtrip is top of mind today, simply because… that’s precisely what Sam and Graham took part in, in the next episode of Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham. For ‘Taste of New Zealand’ was the perfect opportunity for these Scotsmen to settle in and really see what the food of New Zealand was all about. However, while it would have been entertaining and mouthwatering to watch these two just stop by a ton of amazing restaurants and feast before our eyes, in the same manner we would… this duo opted to go a little deeper and really come to understand how the sausage is made so to speak. And the honey. And the milk, and the wine.

For they hit the road to visit a bevy of food production facilities on the North and South Islands, and they did indeed take a little time to learn about how honey is cultivated and made in New Zealand, courtesy of a visit to an apiary. Wherein the process was laid out, and the lads also learned about the high inspection standards that honey goes through in New Zealand before hitting the shelves, and Sam was so taken aback by the wonder of the bee, that he tried to take a few home. But Graham said no of course, because they had to learn about milk, and stopped by a dairy farm to do so. Which in turn allowed for them to learn what the milking process looks like, and that brought forth some awkward and hilarious moments. And once they were done getting fresh milk, they moooooved on over to a local vineyard to learn about how the coast and the various temperatures it presented, made for amazing wines.

But while it was indeed fun to learn about these various foods and what goes into creating them, one must sample the best that a destination has to offer and that’s precisely why Sam and Graham stopped by Fleur’s Place. A renowned restaurant that offered gourmet and traditionally prepared dishes to this duo and goodness… did they eat one incredible meal. Since owner and chef, Fleur Sullivan, brought forth all kinds of stunning traditional dishes. The kind that was boiled and baked with care, and even cooked and steamed in massive kelp bag, because that is as traditional as it gets and clearly… this meal put these lads into a world of joy. Because they were simply speechless as they sampled what Fleur had to offer and well, that’s the payoff of exploring local food on a roadtrip, and well… you couldn’t ask for a better way to end this episode.

One that did a fine job of informing the viewer, that perhaps we too should take a little time and explore a little more about the local cuisine at our destination. To really understand the pride that goes into the local food that is made and to just have the complete picture of the local meals one is about to enjoy. Because that made this journey quite special for certain and of course… the trademark humor and fun this duo embraces, was on full display along the way. Courtesy of puns, an impromptu musical number and we even received some of that cinematic magic that season two has introduced and all of that made, for one delicious tale. One that undoubtedly left us hungry as well, since so much of what we saw was delectable and well… now that we’ve reached the end of this savory journey, it will be interesting to see what epic adventures lie ahead next week, as Sam and Graham bring their journey through New Zealand to a close in the season two finale. Until then.

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