Even if you’re not a Lord of the Rings fan, you might still visit Hobbiton. Hobbiton is the real-life movie set used to film the scenes of The Shire in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, built near Hamilton, New Zealand. It’s built on private farmland, leading to a beautiful, picturesque landscape that you have to see to believe. You can see all the different Hobbit holes and even go inside a few, and at the end of the tour, you get a complimentary drink at The Green Dragon Inn (a non-alcoholic ginger beer is available). And you should have no trouble finding vegan food when you visit Hobbiton.
I was a bit nervous beforehand because I wasn’t sure what the vegan options would be, whether at the Inn or in the cafe after. We opted not to do the banquet dinner because of time constraints (and also because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to eat) but don’t fret! I couldn’t find anything clear beforehand but I conducted my own research while there (in late November ’24) and you won’t have any problems foraging for food. Check out my inexhaustive list of vegan options at Hobbiton below.
The Green Dragon Inn
As mentioned earlier, at the end of every tour, tourgoers stop at The Green Dragon Inn before tour completion for a complimentary drink. They have ale, beer, and a non-alcoholic ginger beer that are all served in the tour’s cute ceramic tumblers.
We spent close to an hour (the allotted time) sitting near the fireplace as it was so cozy. Food items are available to purchase here, and I wish I had seen those before I got up to hand them my glass as we were leaving. You’ll see pies and pastries in the glass case, one of which (a pie) was labeled vegan. Can’t comment on the taste but helpful to have in a pinch.
The Evening Banquet Meal
If you do the evening banquet meal, you should let the tour operator know of any dietary restrictions in advance. From other visitors’ comments, they’re more than happy to accommodate and will serve you dedicated vegan plates: mostly roast vegetables and potatoes, salsa, and/or a pot pie. For dessert, it seems like they have fresh-cut fruit.
You can find all of Hobbiton’s 2024 menus here. You can also host your own events here (though it’s ridiculously expensive).
The Shire’s Rest Cafe
At the end of the tour, there is a cafe on the second floor of the main building that serves food and drinks. It was just after lunchtime so we opted to stop for a snack here and I’m so glad we did. They had an ample amount of vegan options, including this delicious vegan butter chicken pie (seen to the right). They warm it up for you whether or not you’re dining there. I told them ‘to go’ but we stopped to eat anyway (which is why you don’t see a plate). I’m very familiar with butter chicken (though I haven’t had it in nearly a decade), but the flavors were quite nice.
Other vegan-friendly options include a Mexican pie, an eggplant vege wrap, and a sundried tomato pasta. For dessert, there’s a muesli bar, cupcakes, a Snickers bar, and granola. They also color-code their options in the cases (as shown below); the vegan options are in green.
Did I miss any of the vegan options at Hobbiton? Let me know down below!
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