May 5, 2014
For all you mums in Northland…
Northland mums have the opportunity to celebrate Mother’s Day in style this year with a special High Tea at the Kerikeri
Mission Station’s Honey House Café.
The café – nestled on the banks of the Kerikeri River behind Kemp House – provides the perfect river backdrop for what
will be a memorable experience.
“We’re pulling out all the stops for Mother’s Day – even ‘importing’ sets of bone china cups and saucers for the day
from Alberton, our sister Heritage New Zealand property in Auckland,” says the Kerikeri Mission Station’s Visitor
Services Coordinator, Katrina Matete.
“High tea is as much an art form as a meal, and so we’ll be serving a delicious assortment of finger sandwiches,
delightful mini treats and traditional home-baked scones on an elegant cake stand – and tea or coffee served in our
special bone china.”
Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908 when West Virginian, Anna Jarvis, held a memorial for her mother. She
subsequently began a campaign to make Mother’s Day a recognised holiday in the United States, which she accomplished in
1914. Ironically, perhaps, by the 1920s she had become disappointed with the commercialisation of the day.
Not above a little commercialisation herself, however, Jarvis trademarked the phrases “second Sunday in May” and
“Mother’s Day” – insisting that the apostrophe was used in the singular possessive. In other words each family honours
its own mother – as opposed to mothers in general (a small grammatical point, but to Jarvis an important one).
“We’ve picked up on this sentiment, and will be working to ensure that our high tea experience will be the perfect way
for families to say special thanks to their own Mums, Grandmas and even Great-Grandmas,” says Katrina.
The High Tea sessions will take place at the Honey House Café at 11am and 2pm on Sunday May 11. Tickets: $25 per person
– bookings essential. For more information, or to book your tickets, contact the Kerikeri Mission Station on Ph
09-407-9236 or email kkvsc@heritage.org.nz. Tickets can also be purchased at the Stone Store.
ENDS