Coffee stop coming back to North Taranaki’s Pukekura Park with tea house reopening

Marnie and Simon Johnston-Saywell are excited to take the helm at the iconic Tea House in Pukekura Park.

A North Taranaki coffee shop in the middle of Pukekura Park is reopening.

The building closed in June when the Tea House by the Lake lease ended.

It will be open to the public again from the first week of August, with New Plymouth hospitality operators Marnie and Simon Johnston-Saywell serving hot drinks and treats from the location.

The pair, who ran Arborio restaurant in the Puke Ariki Museum building from 2010 to 2022, are excited to take on the lease.

“This beautiful building was gifted to New Plymouth in 1931 by ex-mayor Charles Burgess and his wife Ann to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary and we’re committed to carrying on its legacy as a place for new happy memories,” Marnie said.

“We’ve been beavering away inside with the help of some awesome tradespeople and it’s exciting to see its next evolution as The Teahouse,” Simon said.

Pukekura Park has earned a Green Flag award as a world-class park for 11 years running and is a Garden of National Significance, so the facilities were expected to reflect its reputation, New Plymouth District Council Pukekura Park lead Sheryl Clyma said.

“New Plymouth’s founders had the foresight to create this fantastic and lasting asset back in 1876 and we’re working with The Teahouse team to keep it in good shape for future generations to enjoy.”