British comedian Jason Manford remembers the moment when his friend of 15 years, Take That star Gary Barlowcontacted him about a trip idea.
Manford had been at Keele Services between junctions 15 and 16 of the M6, then the eightfold Brit Awards winner called.
Barlow asked him, ‘Would you like to come? New Zealand?’
Manford, hardly believing what he heard, replied, “Oh yes!”
Since 2024, Barlow, 55, has been on a series of trips for Gary Barlow’s Food And Wine Tour on ITV1 and so far he has South Africa and Australia.
Today sees his latest adventure, in New Zealand, showcasing Barlow’s passion and knowledge of wine.
He says Manford, 45, initially admitted he knew nothing about wine. Yet he had replied: ‘That’s what we want. We don’t want professionals, we want people to learn while the public watches.’
As soon as they landed in New Zealand, the singer knew immediately that the friends, who grew up 50 kilometers apart in the northwest, would have a great time.
The Mail on Sunday spoke to Gary Barlow about his travel show ‘Gary Barlow’s Food and Wine Tour’, which spotlights New Zealand. This time the star is joined by boyfriend Jason Manford
Gary Barlow commented that he was particularly impressed by New Zealand’s beautiful landscapes
Barlow and Manford sampled some of New Zealand’s best wines during their stay, including a visit to the Craggy Range Winery
‘All Jason does is talk – he’s great talking, he’s very funny, and I thought, “Well, this will be easy for me!” We had the most incredible time.’
Barlow was blown away by the scenery. “You’re always adjusting your eyes because you’ve never seen such dimensions before: the big skies, beautiful mountains and amazing coastlines,” he told The Mail on Sunday. “Since then I’ve been telling everyone to put New Zealand at the top of their list.”
The duo spent more than a fortnight visiting the North and South Islands, visiting Auckland, Queenstown, Central Otago, Marlborough Sounds and Hawke’s Bay.
Barlow says one of the highlights was the awe-inspiring views he, Manford and crew enjoyed on the 3.5-hour ferry ride from Picton in the South Island to the capital Wellington in the North Island: ‘It was an amazing thing to do. To come out of The Sounds, those big water intakes, and then cross the Cook Strait is something special.”
Highlights included a Bond-esque zipline arrival at the boutique Man O’ War winery on Waiheke Island, as well as a thrilling 62mph ride through the canyons of the Shotover River on a jet-powered boat.
The friends walked through the interior of Central Otago and watched dolphins dive and dive along the Kaikoura coast as they rattled on the Coastal Pacific Railway.
This southern hemisphere bromance also saw a jaunt in a shiny vintage car through Napier in the Hawke’s Bay region and on a tandem bike.
“The crew thought we would be terrible at it, but we got in and were immediately on the same page. It disappointed everyone!’ says Barlow.
The pair also tried a range of different Kiwi foods, including long-finned eel and wild venison, paired with beetroot and figs.
The 3.5 hour ferry ride from Picton on South Island to the capital Wellington was another highlight of Barlow
Did Kiwis appreciate the pair’s northern banter? “New Zealanders are quite dry, as are the British,” Barlow replied. “They share the same humor as us.”
Manford even managed to stage an impromptu stand-up gig in Christchurch. “He did it for ten minutes and it was great to see him do what he does,” Barlow says.
The new series features deep dives into wine, including bold reds at Craggy Range, the family-run winery at the foot of Te Mata Peak in Hawke’s Bay.
At chef Ben Bayly’s Michelin-starred restaurant Ahi in Auckland, Barlow dined on seafood delicacies paua (large edible sea snails) and wild venison, paired with beetroot and figs.
Elsewhere, the duo also sampled whitebait fritters, green-lipped mussels and Cloudy Bay mussels – plus Kiwi meat pie. New Zealand’s culinary recognition is long overdue, according to Barlow. ‘New Zealanders don’t shout about it as much as they should – the food is sensational.’
What’s next for the adventurous, wine-loving pop legend? California, says Barlow, and then perhaps Greece: ‘But we’ll see. The world is big!’
Gary Barlow’s Food and Wine Tour: New Zealand is on ITV1 today at 12.30pm.
