November 19, 2025
After the Canterbury earthquakes, Kathy Harrington-Watt and her family went looking for a weekend escape and, in 2011, found a little cottage with a big surprise attached: the historic Staveley Co-operative Dairy Factory, built in 1916.
Saved from the ravages of time and reimagined as an event venue, the building has a new lease of life.
“We didn’t buy the property for the building, but we wondered at the time if we could do something with it,” Kathy says.
What followed was a careful restoration that has returned a piece of Mid Canterbury history to community life.
A structural engineer first confirmed the bones were sound; a heritage architect then advised stripping the ramshackle lean-tos to “see what we’ve got.”
What emerged was a charming concrete landmark, with its original trusses cleaned and retained, its roof tied back into the structure, and discreet earthquake strengthening threaded through.
In a nod to history, the venue’s bar is clad with the lids of hundreds of vintage honey tins discovered when an old ceiling was pulled down.
“It was definitely a labour of love,” Kathy says. “The history of the building needed to be at the fore. We wanted to keep it as raw as possible.”
The factory began as a weatherboard creamery in 1907, then grew into a factory in 1916 as the Mid Canterbury dairy industry flourished.
“Farmers increased their herds, the co-op formed, and they built the larger factory.
“The walls are incredibly strong, made from local river sand and stone.”
By the start of the 1930s, its dairy heyday was over, and the factory closed its doors in 1932, later becoming a honey processing plant.
Now open for weddings and events, the building offers couples and groups the chance to become part of the Staveley Co-op story, and to create new ones wrapped in a sense of nostalgia.
“The heritage creates a sense of memory, and weddings are about becoming part of a family’s history. Each celebration also extends the building’s story. I think that’s why people love rustic places with a story: they’re creating one too.”
With views to Mt Somers and the Southern Alps, the setting does the rest: rural, romantic and relaxed.
“Staveley is so beautiful. The factory building’s setting felt perfect for events,” Kathy says.
The venue is what is known as a “dry hire,” but that doesn’t mean guests can’t enjoy a relaxed tipple.
Dry hire is about keeping a wedding simple and within budget, allowing couples creative control.
Couples bring their own caterers, beverages and styling, supported by a caterer’s kitchen and bar space on site.
Most importantly, the timeline breathes: access from Friday afternoon for set-up, a relaxed Saturday celebration (music off by 11 pm; guests away by 11.30 pm), and a Sunday morning window to pack down.
“There’s no rush,” says Kathy. “Weddings should never feel pressured.”
The venue is supported by nearby accommodation options, from local Airbnbs to the Staveley Scout Camp, and hotels in Mt Somers, Methven and Ashburton, with bus hire easy for guest shuttles.
Saved, strengthened and beautifully reimagined, Staveley Co-op 1916 offers couples the rare chance to begin a future inside a living past: exactly the kind of story worth saying “I do” to.
By Claire Inkson
After the Canterbury earthquakes, Kathy Harrington-Watt and her family went looking for a weekend escape and, in 2011, found a little cottage with a big surprise attached: the historic Staveley Co-operative Dairy Factory, built in 1916.
Saved from the ravages of time and reimagined as an event venue, the building has a new lease of life.
“We didn’t buy the property for the building, but we wondered at the time if we could do something with it,” Kathy says.
What followed was a careful restoration that has returned a piece of Mid Canterbury history to community life.
A structural engineer first confirmed the bones were sound; a heritage architect then advised stripping the ramshackle lean-tos to “see what we’ve got.”
What emerged was a charming concrete landmark, with its original trusses cleaned and retained, its roof tied back into the structure, and discreet earthquake strengthening threaded through.
In a nod to history, the venue’s bar is clad with the lids of hundreds of vintage honey tins discovered when an old ceiling was pulled down.
“It was definitely a labour of love,” Kathy says. “The history of the building needed to be at the fore. We wanted to keep it as raw as possible.”
The factory began as a weatherboard creamery in 1907, then grew into a factory in 1916 as the Mid Canterbury dairy industry flourished.
“Farmers increased their herds, the co-op formed, and they built the larger factory.
“The walls are incredibly strong, made from local river sand and stone.”
By the start of the 1930s, its dairy heyday was over, and the factory closed its doors in 1932, later becoming a honey processing plant.
Now open for weddings and events, the building offers couples and groups the chance to become part of the Staveley Co-op story, and to create new ones wrapped in a sense of nostalgia.
“The heritage creates a sense of memory, and weddings are about becoming part of a family’s history. Each celebration also extends the building’s story. I think that’s why people love rustic places with a story: they’re creating one too.”
With views to Mt Somers and the Southern Alps, the setting does the rest: rural, romantic and relaxed.
“Staveley is so beautiful. The factory building’s setting felt perfect for events,” Kathy says.
The venue is what is known as a “dry hire,” but that doesn’t mean guests can’t enjoy a relaxed tipple.
Dry hire is about keeping a wedding simple and within budget, allowing couples creative control.
Couples bring their own caterers, beverages and styling, supported by a caterer’s kitchen and bar space on site.
Most importantly, the timeline breathes: access from Friday afternoon for set-up, a relaxed Saturday celebration (music off by 11 pm; guests away by 11.30 pm), and a Sunday morning window to pack down.
“There’s no rush,” says Kathy. “Weddings should never feel pressured.”
The venue is supported by nearby accommodation options, from local Airbnbs to the Staveley Scout Camp, and hotels in Mt Somers, Methven and Ashburton, with bus hire easy for guest shuttles.
Saved, strengthened and beautifully reimagined, Staveley Co-op 1916 offers couples the rare chance to begin a future inside a living past: exactly the kind of story worth saying “I do” to.
By Claire Inkson
