Mother's Day ideas - days out, gifts and recipes
Our Mother's Day ideas will give you inspiration for a special Mother's Day celebration. Includes Mother's Day brunch recipes, days out with your mum (both in London and across the UK), plus food-themed Mother's Day gifts. Enjoy!
Our Mother's Day ideas make great alternative Mother's Day gifts that are far more thoughtful than the usual bunch of flowers. Treat your mum to breakfast in bed or a batch of pancakes, or whip up a Sunday lunch. Don't fancy cooking? Our Mother's Day ideas for eating out in London and across the UK are all very special, from afternoon tea at Betty's tearoom in Yorkshire to Sunday roast in the countryside, or even a lavish brunch and film idea.
If you aren't going to see your mum on Mother's Day, send her one of our Mother's Day gift ideas, from tea and chocolates to cheese and gin. Happy Mother's Day to all you mums out there!
A subscription to her favourite magazine
A subscription to olive magazine is the Mother's Day gift that keeps on giving. Each month she'll get exciting recipes, hot new restaurant opening and top travel tips delivered straight to her door.
Mother's Day breakfast in bed ideas
Wondering what to do for Mother's Day? Enjoy a lazy Sunday brunch with your mum. Try our indulgent pancake recipes, cheese toasties and vibrant breakfast bowls.
Blueberry smoothie and granola bowls
This easy vegan recipe will brighten your mums morning. Packed with crunchy granola, blueberries and shaved coconut, it's a vibrant way to start your Sunday.
Salted caramel-stuffed pancakes
Got a mum with a sweet tooth? Make our light and fluffy pancakes packed with salted caramel to feed to whole family.
Brunch out in London
Oklava Bakery + Wine, Fitzrovia
The new incarnation of Selin Kiazim’s Oklava comes in the form of a bakery at the top of Fitzrovia. The window counter is brimming with freshly baked pastries and breads (try pilavuna, a savoury pastry filled with twice-cooked halloumi, mint and sultanas; or pogaca, a puffy dough sandwiching rhubarb and cardamom custard), while a smattering of tables is ideal if you want to linger. Tuck into poached eggs with silky garlic yogurt, or fluffy whipped feta on toast, pepped up with plump sticky dates and fragrant rosemary brown butter – a next-level open sandwich.
Read our full review of Oklava Bakery + Wine here
Dishoom, across London
With five sites across the capital, Dishoom brings the flavour and flair of traditional Irani cafés to London. There’s an elegant yet relaxed vibe, with unique touches in each restaurant (think rusty weighing scales and ornate tiled flooring).
Reinterpreted Bombay dishes are the focus, from fluffy coconut appam pancakes topped with a dollop of shrikhand (a sweet Indian dish made of strained yogurt, sugar and cardamom) to comforting chilli cheese toast. Flaky naans (baked in a tandoor oven) filled with cream cheese, chilli tomato jam and crispy smoked bacon are a must, but, if you’re feeling peckish, order the ramped-up version with a frilly fried egg and peppery pork sausage.
Check out more places for brunch here
Mother's Day menu ideas
Baked-in-the-shell queenie scallops
Treat your mum like royalty with our baked-in-the-shell ‘queenie’ scallops. A pretty and luxurious starter dish that will make your mother feel oh-so-special.
Our moreish tray bake is packed with crisp chicken thighs, creamy lemon sauce and fragrant rosemary. Serve it with rice or orzo for a family friendly feast.
Treat your mum to a classic, impressive lemon meringue pie with crisp pastry, tart curd and fluffy meringue that’s really easy to make.
Restaurants for lunch
Hot pot in The Ribble Valley, Lancashire
Treat your mum to a Lancashire hotpot with pickled red cabbage and crusty bread from The Inn at Whitewell. Beneath a wafer-thin lid of crispy potato the lamb is soft and doused in a buttery gravy, the shredded cabbage adds a sweet acidity that cuts through the richness.
Read our full guide to eating and drinking in The Ribble Valley here
Castle Farm Café, Bath
Rustic, nourishing and 90% veg-based, there’s wonderful things happening in this upcycled tractor shed in Midford, near Bath. Take your mum for a relaxed lunch at this quirky restaurant and expect sourdough pizzas, soothing soups and squidgy cinnamon buns.
On a Sunday they do a sharing roast, so dig into whole Castlemead chicken or roasted loin of pork served with cauliflower cheese, roasties, farm vegetables and Yorkshire puddings.
Read our full review of Castle Farm Café here
Moor Hall, Aughton
Want to treat your mum to a tasting menu this Mother’s Day? Book a table at Moor Hall, a restaurant with rooms is a Grade-II, 16th-century former gentry house with beautiful lakeside views.
The menu (choose from five or eight courses) is modern British, with a focus on ingredients grown in the kitchen garden round the back. Expect homemade black pudding with pickled apple, poached brill with mussel cream and rhubarb with milk and fennel.
Click here to read our full review of Moor Hall
The Ox Barn at Thyme, Cotswolds
In the quaint Cotswolds village of Southrop is the Ox Barn, a restaurant serving seasonal British dishes that make the most of the kitchen garden and working farmyard.
Sink into the plush 60s-style armchairs tucked around marble tables and order sourdough with homemade butter, sharing salads and hearty mains. Desserts are a must, with buttery frangipane tarts coming topped with both ice cream and clotted cream.
Read our full review of The Ox Barn at Thyme here
Click here for more restaurants to visit across the UK
Afternoon tea in the beautiful city of Bath
The Royal Crescent Hotel
Give your mum the gift of traditional Georgian grandeur at the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath. To the south and west is the refined leafiness of Royal Victoria Park (a green expanse known as the Common Fields in Georgian Times). To the north and east are elegant sweeps of 18th century honey-stone townhouses that include the Grade I-listed Circus and Assembly Rooms.
The epicentre of all this architectural brilliance is the Grade I-listed Royal Crescent, an arc of 30 houses designed by John Wood the Younger, built in the 1770s and, today, one of the greatest Georgian legacies in England (besides a serious craze for gin, of course). To explore it in depth most visitors start at No. 1, now open to the public as a museum. But there is another way: taking afternoon tea at Nos. 15 & 16, the Royal Crescent Hotel.
Read our full review of afternoon tea at The Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath here
Comins Teahouse Bath
If your mum prefers her tea in a more subtle, modern setting, the pared-down décor at Comins teahouse is light and airy with white walls, clean lines and simple blonde wood. Maps of tea estates, beautifully illustrated with tea-based inks, hang on one wall and a long banquette beneath them is peppered with tables inset with little gutters (to tip your dregs into before you start a second cup), the bench below carved with circular dimples designed to hold flasks of hot water and save space on the tables.
Sustenance-wise the focus at Comins Tea House is equally contemporary, and carefully curated. The menu of teas, and accompanying food, have all been chosen for their quality and suitability (you won’t find catering company carrot cake here, or industrial packs of teabags). All the food is either made from scratch on site, or by a network of local makers, and tea appears prominently as a cooking ingredient (matcha ice cream, Assam tea bread, Darjeeling-laced caramel shortbread). In the future there are plans to offer tea-based cocktails, too.
Read our full review of afternoon tea at Comins Teahouse in Bath here
Afternoon tea at Betty's in Yorkshire
The ideal foodie gift for your mum, Betty's in Yorkshire is a classic Mother's Day occassion. Coffee and cake at Betty’s in Harrogate is always a treat; but the Lady Betty afternoon tea is even more so. Taken in the elegant Imperial Room upstairs, it begins with a glass of Hébrart Premier Cru champagne, Moutard Rosé champagne or a kir royale cocktail and, unusually for an afternoon tea, a savoury appetiser – prawn cocktail, served in a little shot glass and sprinkled with paprika.
Next, more miniature savouries including a Yorkshire pork and Bramely apple pie with golden pastry and an accomplished smoked salmon and dill roulade. Sandwiches are soft and pretty, with succulent roast Yorkshire ham and tomato pâté being the best, and are refreshed if needs be; try them with a pot of Betty’s own afternoon tea blend (Assam and Darjeeling with a delicate floral finish), served in bone china cups.
Read our full review of afternoon tea at Betty's in Harrogate here
Homemade afternoon tea recipes
Make Mother's Day special with pretty afternoon tea cakes, bakes and sandwiches for a homemade and personal touch. She will love how thoughtful you are.
Our easy tea loaf is packed with juicy dates and fiery ginger – perfect with an afternoon cuppa. Make our moreish cake for a Mother's Day afternoon tea.
Our light and airy strawberry éclairs are a summery twist on the classic chocolate version. These colourful éclairs will add a fruity touch to your Mother's Day afternoon tea this year.
Easy pinwheel biscuits: made with cocoa and pistachio, these nutty treats are quick to bake and will add a pretty touch to your Mother’s Day afternoon tea spread. Make plenty they won’t last for long when the rest of the family spots them.
American shortcakes are more like scones than biscuits. Usually filled with strawberries and cream these pink rhubarb ones are a great British twist.
Bake your mum a show-stopping cake
Double lemon, gin and tonic cake
This double lemon, gin and tonic cake combines two of our favourite things. It's easy to make and sure to please a crowd - a new way for you and your mum to enjoy your G&T.
Coffee, chocolate and walnut cake
Classic coffee cake is one of our all-time favourite afternoon treats, and mums love it. In this recipe, we’ve given it a twist to include dark and white chocolate.
Walk and a pub lunch
Spend your Sunday going on a stroll this Mother’s Day. Make the most of spring by exploring the countryside, from Cumbria to Cornwall. Every walk should end at a great pub, and we’ve found the best ones to visit across the country. Head to Norfolk’s Globe Inn for crab delivered straight from the quay, or dig into malt-vinegar and sea-herb-battered fish with crushed peas, tartare sauce and chips at the Anchor Inn in Dorset.
Make mum a Sunday Roast
Make your mum a Sunday roast with our Sunday roast recipes. The Sunday roast is a British institution, along with great pub food, so why not treat your mum to a Sunday roast in the comfort of your own home?
We’ve created an expert guide to the Sunday roast, from roast chicken and classic roast beef with Yorkshire puddings to vegetarian roast ideas and inspiring roast pork with crisp crackling. Go all out for your mum and make Sunday dinner a really indulgent affair with the best ever roast potatoes and some epic sides.
Roast chicken with garlic and thyme croutons
Everyone loves a Sunday roast, and this roast chicken with garlic and thyme croutons will make your mum feel extra special. Big chunky pieces of sourdough make a trivet for roast chicken and soak up all the delicious juices while it cooks.
Rolled ’nduja-stuffed pork belly
’Ndjua is a spicy spreadable salami from Calabria and it adds a special twist to Tom Adams’ pork belly recipe. This indulgent recipe is really worth it to treat your mum on Mother's Day.
Roast potatoes are key to a Sunday roast - we have easy recipes for goose-fat roasties, crisp schnitzel roasties, plus indulgent recipes for dauphinoise, potato gratins and mash.
Saturday brunch film club at Covent Garden Hotel
Treat your mum to a special afternoon at this smart hotel that has the perfect balance between elegant and whacky. On Saturdays, Covent Garden Hotel puts on a lavish brunch in the breakfast room. Peruse the breakfast table groaning with Kitt Kemp’s hand-designed bowls full of fruits, cereals, compotes and yogurts.
Laden your plate with pastries and homemade breakfast bars and fill your glass with the juice of the day (think freshly squeezed orange juice with a hint of fresh mint) before taking a glass of champagne or a Bloody Mary and a bucket of homemade popcorn (you can make your own gourmet popcorn here) down to the tiny cinema in the basement for the film of the day.
Richmond and Petersham Nurseries
If Mother's Day is a nice, sunny day, head to Richmond for a day out. From Richmond station, pass the green (detour down tiny Brewers Lane for a gelato from Gelateria Danieli) and walk along the river to Petersham Nurseries. Wander through the enchanted greenhouses full to bursting with potted plants, fruit and olive trees and up-cycled garden furniture.
Get in line at the garden shed and slide a tray past homemade cakes and bakes, salads and daily specials such as creamy chicken pie with a golden puff pastry topping. Take your treats and perch on garden furniture in the pretty greenhouses.
Buy a foodie gift
If you can't see your mum on Mother's Day, send her one of these thoughtful foodie gifts. We have found the most personal and special foodie gifts for your mum, right here
Whether she'd want a delicate Japanese-inspired pot, or would prefer to keep things classic with floral stoneware, we’ve found 11 of the most gorgeous teapots to buy.
Does your Mum love a G&T? Mix things up this Mother's Day with our favourite flavoured bottles, from zesty blood orange to tart gooseberry.
Blow the budget with a modern marble stand, or go traditional with a tiered china number, we've found the best cake stands to buy for Mother's Day.
Need more inspiration? Try our Mother's Day menu ideas by clicking on the image below:
...Or how about our best Mother's Day brunch and breakfast recipes?
…Or how about some more restaurant inspiration?
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