The Moutere Inn is at 1406 Moutere Highway, Upper Moutere, in the Tasman District inland from Nelson. It is New Zealand's oldest pub still operating in its original building — a few older licences remain in use elsewhere, but none from their original location or building.
The inn was established in 1850 by Cordt Bensemann, a German soldier and immigrant, in what was then a German settler district. The building has changed remarkably little since; the most significant alteration was the loss of the original verandah when the main bar was extended in the 1960s. The pub changed hands again in 2026.
The inn specialises in a continually rotating range of craft beers and real ales, alongside wines from the surrounding Moutere district — an area with a substantial concentration of small wineries, breweries and food producers. It is a member of the Moutere Artisans group.
For MICE purposes the Moutere Inn is an incentive and partner-programme destination rather than a meeting venue. Its value is the story: a working 1850 pub in its original building, in the middle of the Moutere artisan food and drink trail. It suits group lunches and dinners on a Nelson–Tasman touring itinerary, informal team functions, and conference free-time activity, often combined with cycling or a producers' trail through the Moutere valley.
It is roughly 30 minutes from Nelson. Group capacity, private-area availability, catering and current hours should be confirmed directly with the inn, particularly given the recent change of ownership.
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