High teas will be served in style when a Wedgewood exhibition opens at He Waka Tuia Invercargill Public Art Gallery and Southland Museum next week (12-27 Nov).

The English pottery was first developed in the mid-1700s by Josiah Wedgwood.

In 1765 Wedgwood produced a complete set of “tea things” for Queen Charlotte.

Because of this, he was favoured by the Royal Family and the Queen appointed him as a Royal Potter.

As part of the exhibition, visitors can also book in for a High Tea, which will include some treats from Country Manor Catering, while enjoying the exhibition itself.

About 60 items from the Wedgwood collection will be on display, including a plate celebrating the royal wedding of Charles and Diana, items from the Queen’s Jubilee, and other royal memorabilia.

The exhibition isn’t just for adults and children will be able to design their own Wedgwood using felt pens and paper plates for the duration of the two weeks.

He Waka Tuia manager Sarah Brown said it was also an opportunity for those with their own special Wedgwood items to show them off and tell their stories by uploading photos online on the Show Us Your Wedgwood section of the He Waka Tuia website.

Wedgwood was something familiar and nostalgic for a lot of people, she said.

“A lot of people have some at home, and we are really excited for them to not only see this collection, which hasn’t been on display for several years, but also show off their own.”

The High Teas will be held on:

• Tuesday, November 15, 12pm
• Wednesday, November 16, 12pm
• Thursday, November 17, 12pm
• Saturday, November 19, 1.30pm
• Tuesday, November 22, 12pm
• Wednesday November 23, 12pm
• Thursday, November 24, 12pm
• Saturday, November 26, 1.30pm

Tickets are $25 each, limited to 30 people per session, and can be purchased by emailing [email protected].