Anne Butcher and the Heart of Somerset Cottage

Auckland News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jun 26, 2026 · 1m

For forty years, Somerset Cottage was more than a restaurant—it was a beloved community heartbeat in Tauranga, co-owned by Anne Butcher and chef Rick Lowe, who turned a Dutch tea house into a legendary dining destination known for warmth, fine food, and an expansive wine list. Anne’s philosophy? Make everyone feel like family. Beyond the menu, she hosted cooking schools, gifted bikes to kids for Christmas, and became a local icon whose kindness touched countless lives. After her sudden passing in May, Rick made the heart-wrenching decision to close the doors in June—because, as he said…