Special brunch for city's Anzac Day service

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby and Bakers Delight owner Beate Sommer will be involved with this year's Anzac centenary. Photo / John Borren

Three-hundred kilograms of bacon and 560 loaves of bread will be used to make bacon butties that will be given out free to thousands of people attending this year's special Anzac civic service in Tauranga.

A joint Mount Maunganui and Tauranga Anzac civic service will be held at the Tauranga Domain for the first time on Anzac Day in honour of the 100th year since the Gallipoli landings.

Up to 8000 people are expected to attend.

For the Great Anzac Day Brunch, 5000 bacon butties, Anzac biscuits and hot drinks will be supplied free.

An anonymous person donated an undisclosed amount of money to help pay for the food and local businesses are also doing their part, including Bakers Delight, First National Tauranga, The Big Smoke and Gilmours.

New Zealand Cadet Forces based in Tauranga, TS Chatham Sea Cadets, Number 16 City of Tauranga Squadron Air Training Corps and the Western Bay of Plenty Cadet corp, will help cook the food, as will a team of 60 volunteers made up of members of the public and local organisations.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby told the Bay of Plenty Times this year's centenary Anzac service was a special one.

"The Mount Maunganui and Tauranga RSAs are combining the civic services at the old location where the memorial gates are. We'll have quite a special service, there will be some activities before and after the official service."

Bakers Delight owner Beate Sommer said 100 years was a big deal and when she got the phone call asking for help, she was happy to help.

Dawn services will be held at the cenotaphs on Marine Parade and at the Tauranga RSA's Greerton clubrooms, with the joint civic service starting at 9.45am on Anzac Day.