Lid to lift off teapot dream | Oamaru News | Local News in Oamaru

The china cups are set, the quality leaf tea is brewing and the staff are  dressed immaculately in preparation for the opening of Annie's Victorian Tea Rooms.

After years of planning - and dreaming - the initial phase of the establishment will open on Monday,
almost 140 years to the day since Hood and Shennan began  a drapery business in the premises.

The bottom floor of the North Otago Club building on the corner of Itchen St and Tees St has been transformed into a "living history experience" and will offer traditional afternoon teas.

Owner Annie Baxter said she had been planning the venture for about six years.

"The dream has finally come into fruition," she said. "Now the first cup of tea will be poured on Monday."

The setting will be 1885 with a commercial kitchen for making traditional afternoon teas, home-made cakes and a general store to sell merchandise.

Staff will dress in full Victorian costume and feature locals, people who have recently moved from Christchurch and students.

An official opening ceremony was held on September 17 attended by about 200 people, including Miss Baxter's friends and colleagues from Diamond Harbour.

"Monday is the town's opening," she said.

Miss Baxter said many of the fittings had been sourced from Oamaru shops, such as the stag's head, which used to be in the barber shop where Butterflies is now.

Work to restore the Category One listed building to its original look and feel has been undertaken with careful research.

A new veranda on the Itchen St side was replicated from images at the North Otago Museum to look as it would have in 1886, and an entranceway, in keeping with the style of the Almost All New Zealand Books premises next door, has been installed.

The building was originally built in 1871 for  Hood and Shennan, then AMP bought it in 1885 and remodelled the top part with Forrester and Lemon. It was then the AMP building until 1958 and has been used for various government departments and businesses since.

Miss Baxter has recently moved from Diamond Harbour, where she ran Victorian afternoon teas at the historic Stoddart's Cottage.

Now the new Oamaru tearooms will open on Monday and will be followed by a general store at a later date.

"I've had incredible feedback and everyone is so excited, supportive and looking forward to a good cup of tea," Miss Baxter said.