Mother’s Day 2024 is Sunday 10th March, slightly earlier than usual and I’m already seeing places releasing menus or special events, so if you’re celebrating Mother’s Day this year, it’s time to get organised. This list covers some specific Mother’s Day events, local gifts and experiences, as well as some general suggestions for how to celebrate Mother’s Day in Newcastle and the North East for 2024.

Disclaimer: I may have previously worked with some of these brands in the past, but none of them have any association with this blog post. As always all are my personal recommendations.

I know Mother’s Day can be sensitive for some people, so if it’s not for you and it’s landed in your inbox (because I have no clue how to be selective with my mailing list) then I do apologise. All of these activities would actually be fun to do with anyone close to you, whether that’s a mum, mam, mother, an honorary mother figure, an auntie, sister, literally whoever.

Cocktails & Cake at Mother Mercy

The new cocktails and cake offering at Mother Mercy in Fenwick has gone down a treat since it launched, with unlimited teapot cocktails and a selection of simply stunning pink cakes to go with it.

There is limited availability left for Sunday 10th March, although there was still some at the time this goes live, but you could get vouchers or do this another time and it would be a lovely present. It really is beautiful the cakes are amazing especially the winter berry mousse. It’s £50 for two for 90 minutes, and a fabulous gift even if it isn’t on the day itself. You can see my reel on Cocktails & Cake here, and book online here.

North East Tasting Club

If you’re wine drinkers then I can’t recommend the North East Tasting Club enough. I have now done it twice and it is the most relaxed, easy going wine tastings you will ever go to. Andrea is really knowledgeable and hosts a get together on the first Wednesday of every month, usually at Toast in Tynemouth (March date and location TBC), or bespoke tastings if you book her privately.

The wines are always affordable, and often ones you can buy in the shop. Doing either the monthly event or if there’s a group of you booking a private one would be a great Mother’s Day experience.

Brunch at Cote

I was invited by Cote to experience this a year or so ago, and since then I’ve been twice myself as a paying customer. The champagne brunch is really good value for money, £20.95 for a glass of Laurent Perrier champagne, a hot or cold soft drink, and your choice of brunch dish to eat. *Price was true at the time please check with the venue.

We really enjoyed it on all occasions, as the food is always great and so are the staff. Available until 11:30am, get a table booked and enjoy champagne brunch, with maybe a couple of Bloody Mary’s, followed by whatever takes your fancy in town – shopping, more cocktails, a gin bar… A lovely way to start Mother’s Day in Newcastle.

Go out for cocktails

I was originally going to name a couple of places I think are great for with your mum, but everyones different and the list was quickly turning quite long. I have a blog post on where to go for cocktails in Newcastle, so have a browse of that. Some of my favourites for with my mum though are WC Newcastle, Hibou Blanc or Grey Owl and the new Cafe Mercy bar on Grey Street.

Visit Tynemouth Market

I love visiting the weekend market at Tynemouth with my mum, we’ve done it in all weathers and for all occasions. Enjoy a browse of the stalls, pick up some flowers for her, there are some lovely new jewellery stalls making an appearance the last few weeks, maybe some interior bits from No 11, and follow it up with a coffee, brunch or lunch in Tynemouth after. If you’re not sure where to go for brunch, take a look at my coastal suggestions here.

If it’s later in the day you could have a glass of wine together at Platform 2, or Vineyard 72 instead.

Sunday Lunch

Traditionally one of the most obvious things to do on Mother’s Day with it being a Sunday, but you’ll need to book pretty quick, especially for occasions like Mother’s Day in Newcastle. We’ve been to the Broad Chare, Branches, Jesmond Dene House, The Grand in Tynemouth and Hotel du Vin for Mother’s Day Sunday lunch in the past and all were great.

Some newer places that are excellent include Osters in Gosforth, The Tempus up in Northumberland, and Six at the Baltic has just undergone a big renovation which looks beautiful. You can book to eat in a number of different spots including the bar, the dining room and the viewing lounge.

Gusto Italian, are also offering Sunday lunch, with each Mother’s Day booking also receiving a scratch card to reveal a gift they can enjoy on their next visit, such as a complimentary G&T or dessert. The Mother’s Day Sunday roast experience is £45.95, which includes a roast for two people from a selection of Sirloin of Beef, Roast Chicken, Porchetta-style Pork Belly & Crackling and 3-meat ragù shepherd’s pie. Additional portions are £23.95. Book for Gusto’s on Mother’s Day here.

Here’s my recent post on my picks for Sunday lunch in the North East if you want some other inspiration. At the coast I’m a big fan of Meet Me On The Corner.

Spa Days, experiences or gift vouchers

Spa days are always popular for Mother’s Day and I’ve seen lots of North East spas advertising either their afternoon tea experience for Mother’s Day, or their spa days. There’s all of the usual North East spas including Rockliffe Hall, Beau Monde Day Spa in Lucker (read my blog on it here it’s lovely!), Seaham Hall who do a good Twilight Spa experience, and any of these in Northumberland.

Last September I went to the new Forest Spa at Middleton Lodge, and I can honestly say it was incredible, probably the best one I’ve been to. It’s absolutely stunning, but not cheap. The treatments were in gorgeous little huts surrounded by wildflowers, the outdoor pool is beautiful and the inside area by the fire is very relaxing.

Even if you don’t go on Mother’s Day itself, a spa day any other day, or a voucher makes a lovely gift.

Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea

One of the most popular things for people to book with their mums for Mother’s Day. So many places do afternoon tea now we really are spoilt for choice, but a few stand out ones for me include – Matfen Hall, The Vermont, Jesmond Dene House and Spanish City under the Dome – who also have a singer for this year.

This year Fenwick’s are offering a Mother’s Day afternoon tea with Mason & Rye for £25pp, or a sparkling afternoon tea for £35pp. You can see the full menu and book this experience here. Cafe 21 in Fenwick’s also have afternoon tea on offer, I’ve always really enjoyed it here.

Newcastle Cathedral are also hosting two sittings of their Mother’s Day afternoon tea, either 1-2:30pm or 3-4:30pm in Cafe 16 in the Cathedral refectory. It is also available on Saturday 9th March too. See full details and how to book on the Cafe 16 website here.

Charlton Hall and The Tempus are both beautiful venues up in Northumberland, and you can book for Mother’s Day afternoon tea in Charlton Hall, or Sunday lunch at The Tempus. Bookings are essential and you can find details including pricing here.

In Whitley Bay Meet Me On The Corner do a fabulous afternoon tea, I took my mum when I was invited to try it recently and we both loved it.

Go on a Day trip on the train

The obvious ones from Newcastle and the North East are York, Edinburgh or Leeds, but again this close to Mother’s Day you would need to book anywhere you fancy eating pretty soon to make sure you get in. Me and my sister have done York a couple of times with Viv, as it’s always nice to visit The Ivy for lunch and Betty’s for treats.

Take her to the Ladies Loos

If your mum is a gin fan then you need to take her to the WC Gin Closet on High Bridge Street, that used to be the old public Ladies toilet. The sign is still on the wall! It’s tiny, but very cute inside and the gin menu is one of the best in Newcastle I would say. If you don’t manage to get in there then you could always go to the old mens toilets at WC Newcastle just along the road instead, their cocktails are some of the best in Newcastle.

Mother’s Day on the Quayside

What better way to enjoy Mother’s Day in Newcastle than right on the Quayside? Similar to Tynemouth market I always enjoy a visit to the Quayside market. Have a walk along, pick up any gifts, and try the street food. A walk along the Quayside is always worth doing, with the bridges, or even further along to Ouseburn. Stop at either a cafe or a pub afterwards and it’s a Sunday morning well spent.

My picks for a lunch date on the Quayside would be either Gino’s for lunch – the menu is so big and I really enjoyed their Italian inspired afternoon tea with my mum last year, or Charthouse. Charthouse is lovely since it’s been renovated on the Quayside, with gorgeous views from both the bar and restaurant. You could go for just drinks in the bar, or book for a lovely dining experience in their restaurant.

Visit local gardens

As the weather is hopefully improving for spring, a day out at one of the North East gardens could be a nice way to spend the day. Some suggestions are Alnwick Garden – even if you don’t go now you could book for the cherry blossoms in a couple of months time, Wynyard Hall Gardens, – their famous rose garden looks beautiful, or I went to Floors Castle in the Scottish Borders near Kelso and that was lovely.

Bradley Gardens near Wylam is a really nice way to spend Mother’s Day, we did this last year. Browse the lifestyle shops and little garden greenhouse, followed by lunch in their cafe/restaurant. They’re already taking bookings and it’s a set menu for Mother’s Day, £23.50 for two courses or £28.50 for three. See the details on the Bradley Gardens website here.

Not so local but easily doable in a day, as is Middleton Lodge with their walled garden too. I haven’t seen anything they’re doing specific for Mother’s Day yet but will update if they do.

Local Gift Hampers

Hampers make great gifts filled with exciting things to enjoy at home. The French Quarter do really lovely hampers, either pre made ones or you can make your own with all of her favourite things like wine, cheese, olives, coffee.

Cavavin in Newcastle have a nice wine gift set, and Coastal Hampers always do beautiful hampers with a big range to choose from. This pamper hamper looks ideal for Mother’s Day!

There’s no reason you can’t make staying at home something special. See my full blog post on where to get local gift hampers in the North East.

Beauty treatments

If you fancy a spa treatment without the full days trip to a spa, booking some relaxing treatments can be just as nice at a beauty clinic or salon. My favourite is Jesmond Beauty Clinic on Clayton Road, where you can almost always get appointments at a suitable time because they have so much room.

I had a gorgeous facial here last summer and even for just an hour it felt like I was a million miles away. Clarins Skin Spa in John Lewis is also a good option, or alternatively if your mum goes somewhere frequently why not book and pay for all her favourite treatments and go with her.

Send her some local treats

For Mother’s Day in Newcastle the local bakeries always pull out all the stops. Pure Knead bakery made some gorgeous little cakes last year – I’m sure they’ll do similar this year from their locations on Park View in Whitley Bay or Dean Street in Newcastle. Dil & the Bear do delicious cake pops and often release themed ones for events like Mother’s Day.

Or what about Letterbox Bakes from Cake Stories? These letterbox deliveries are filled with delicious flavoured brownies and blondies – they are so good I had some from their Valentines box.

And finally from the Mother’s Day treats section, you know Im a big fan of the folks at the Good Tempered Chocolate Company. Their chocolate slabs are incredible, have a browse online or their shop is open on Fridays. It’s best to follow along for updates, new drops and where their weekly pop ups are on Instagram.

I’ll update this section as menus and updates are released.

Unique Gifts

If you’re the present buying type, and want something a bit different, here’s a couple of places to have a look at that will make Mother’s Day in Newcastle a unique one…

Cove Lifestyle Studios – newly opened on Tynemouth Front Street, there are some gorgeous little lifestyle and wellbeing gifts on the shelves. From plants to local artwork, recipe books and beauty bits. Take a closer look here.

The Bath House – so technically not North East as their shops are in the Lake District, but you can order online. This skincare, perfume and bath and shower brand is honestly beautiful. Im currently using the Frangipani and Grapefruit body lotion it’s beautiful. I also discovered Robinsons at Alnwick stock it too if you fancied a day out up there.

Shop Bellwoods – this lifestyle and gift shop on Park View in Whitley Bay is filled with all sorts of things, from candles and homeware to jewellery, books and loads more. Have a browse on Instagram but it’s really worth a visit in person.

Behalla – also on Park View in Whitley Bay, this sustainable store is gorgeous and they have some beautiful potted plants and candles.

Nucasa – this shop has so much stuff, everything from homeware to artwork and prints, gifts and you can get a coffee while you’re there. I could spend ages in here it’s lovely.

There’s obviously loads of local independent shops all over the North East, so have a rummage and you’re bound to find some really nice unique gifts.

LRM Goods in Fenwicks – Ive mentioned these guys before, their personalised bags are absolutely gorgeous, and since they arrived in Fenwicks almost a year ago I’ve bought three for myself, one for my sister and one for my mum for Christmas. They’re fab.

Send Flowers from Local Florists

Perhaps the most obvious one for last, sending flowers is the simplest gift that always puts smiles on faces. Where possible try to support local, I find they’re always fresher and beautifully presented. I mentioned Tynemouth market where there are always stalls, and Jules Fleur shop in the Siding, but my go to is Phillipa’s Flowers in North Shields. Fork in the Rose in Heaton is also great, as is Katherine’s Florist in Gosforth.

I will add to this list over the next month for anyone still looking for ideas for what to do for Mother’s Day in Newcastle and the North East this year.

Other posts you might like:

15 Places to go for breakfast in Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth

Cocktail bars in Newcastle for Every Taste and Occasion

My picks for Sunday lunch in the North East

6 Places to Eat on the Northumberland Coast

Northumberland Spa Days to treat yourself

North East Gift Hampers for the ideal gift