The claim
A country inn on the Moutere Highway near Nelson, built in 1850 by Cordt Bensemann, a German settler, and claiming to be New Zealand's oldest pub still trading in its original building. Andrew Cole and Dave Watson ran it as a craft beer freehouse for seventeen years and sold it in April 2026 to Jane Cunliffe and John Slotemaker, who trade under the sign The Moutere 1850, keep the rotating taps and the wines from nearby, and mean to bring the rooms upstairs back into use.
What the records show
Wikipedia and RNZ give 1850 for the building, which Cordt Bensemann put up as a house (RNZ). The claim is 'oldest pub in NZ in its original building', conceding that older licences exist elsewhere in rebuilt or moved premises. The date licensed drinking began is unconfirmed.
| Year | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | Claimed founding | The pub |
| c.1850 | Present building | Building fabric |
What to look for inside
- Claims NZ's oldest pub in its original building
- 13 rotating craft taps
- Wines sourced within 10 km
Visiting
Moutere Inn is in Upper Moutere, New Zealand, at 1406 Moutere Highway, Upper Moutere 7175. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moutere_Inn
- www.moutereinn.co.nz/
- www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018660891/new-zealand-s-finest-historic-pubs
- www.nelsontasman.nz/eat-drink/the-moutere-inn/
- www.oneroof.co.nz/news/how-nzs-oldest-pub-was-saved-from-the-scrapheap-beer-fans-shelve-retirement-to-buy-historic-inn-49312
- www.themoutere.co.nz/
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
Run this pub? There is a badge for it
Free to put on your own site, no permission needed. It shows what the pub claims and what the records support, and it changes when the data does.
How to use it, and how to change what it says — if you have a document we have not seen, we would like to read it.
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