Changing Of The Guard For Tawa Tavern

The Sprig + Fern Tavern in the Wellington suburb of Tawa is under new ownership, with John and Rachel Sommerfield taking over the reins from Colin Mallon.

The sale was announced earlier this week in a post from Colin to the Sprig + Fern Tawa Facebook page, reading:

“After four years of getting to know the amazing people and community of Tawa, it’s time for us to pass on the mantle. We have had a blast and made some great friends along the way”.

The announcement was met with great support from the community, with regulars thanking Colin and the team for the many memories made in the venue over the previous four years.

Colin will continue to be a familiar face to Sprig + Fern regulars, still owning and operating the Sprig + Fern Tavern in the central Wellington suburb of Thorndon. John and Rachel will also be familiar to many, with the ownership of Sprig + Fern Tawa being their second Tavern alongside Sprig + Fern Berhampore.

In an introductory post to Tawa’s social media accounts, they posted:

“Your favourite local is under new ownership… and we are very excited to take you on this journey with us. We are locals to the northern suburbs and we value what this area has to bring, as well as knowing a thing or two about hospitality.

“Shout out to Colin for being the face of the brand for the past four years. His team is staying with us and we are excited to put our stamp within Tawa.”

The Tawa Tavern is currently closed while undergoing some maintenance and renovations, with John and Rachel looking to make their mark on the venue. Alongside a few interior changes and a minor menu update, they promise to add some personal touches alongside “some good old fashioned Irish and Kiwi hospitality”.

The Tavern is currently planned to reopen on Thursday 4 April. For the latest updates, keep an eye on the Sprig + Fern Tawa Facebook and Instagram pages.