Jack and Sarah Hywood are inviting all veterans and their families to enjoy a free Anzac Day breakfast at their Stratford business, Mountain Motors and Ironman 4x4.
Jack and Sarah Hywood are inviting all veterans and their families to enjoy a free Anzac Day breakfast at their Stratford business, Mountain Motors and Ironman 4x4.
A Taranaki motor business is turning its workshop into a restaurant on Anzac Day this year, serving up a full cooked breakfast to any veterans or serving members of the Defence Force and their whānau, all free of charge.
It’s the second year that Jack and Sarah Hywood, owners of Stratford’s Mountain Motors and Ironman 4x4 auto shop and service centre, have hosted the breakfast, which served up fresh kai to about 50 guests last year.
Sarah Hywood said that, after the positive response to last year’s event, it was a given they would do it again.
“This year though, we’ve changed it a bit and are welcoming people straight after the dawn service and parade. It gives people the chance to sit down and have a chat. They can come in, have a coffee and a rum, or just a coffee, a tea, and some food, and talk with others. That’s what we saw happen last year, generations of veterans sitting together and sharing a meal.”
Hywood knows all about generations of veterans: she and her brother have both served, as have her father, her grandparents, great-aunts and uncles.
“Dad’s a Vietnam vet, my brother served in Timor. I served in between campaigns, so didn’t serve overseas myself. Our family tradition of service goes much further back, right back to World War I. Both my grandfathers served, my great-aunt served on hospital ships.
“So for my family, Anzac Day is a really special day and the breakfast is a way to offer company and support to others who have served or are serving currently.”
It's a family tradition to serve one's country, says Sarah Hywood, pictured here in uniform with her father Terry and brother Andrew O'Kane.
Veterans tended not to talk much about their service or experience, she said.
“You don’t really hear from vets, they are very quiet, very humble, they don’t boast and they certainly don’t ask for help.”
Serving breakfast on Anzac Day was about more than just filling stomachs with great food, she said.
“It’s also building a connection. We can be a point of contact for people, we can put people in touch with others, we can organise help with things if needed. Whatever it is, we will know who to talk to or contact. We can help.”
When the Hywoods announced their plan to hold the breakfast last year, they were inundated with offers of support, and that had happened again this year, she said.
“We have the Farmers Grill again, they are the catering kings, they are bringing their big trailer right into the workshop, then Stratford New World, Gilmours, Azure Cafe, Central Butchery/Slaghuis and Dobsons Marquee and Party Hire are all helping as well.”
People did not need to book and could simply turn up, she said. Entry is through the Miranda St side of the business.
“We’ve got room. It’s a massive workshop, we’ve got loads of tables and chairs. We don’t care, we will make room for everyone who turns up. We’ve got plenty of food and we don’t care if we end up with leftovers or not, we just want people to come and enjoy some food and some company.”
Anzac Day was an important day for veterans and their whānau, she said. It was a way of showing respect for all who had served, were serving now or who would not return.
“Veterans have given so much and they don’t get much in return, just one day a year. It’s not enough. This breakfast is just one way we can support veterans and thank them.”
Ilona Hanne is a Taranaki-based journalist and news director who covers breaking and community news from across the region. She has worked for NZME since 2011.
