Winter warmer at Vergelegen pop-up

Murray Williams|Published 7 months ago

Waiter Simba Takaedza at the front door to the quaint building, which houses the pop- up venue. On the outside and inside walls are farming items from previous eras, all adding to the historic vibe.

Take one-part culture, two-parts heritage, a dash of expertise, and your winning recipe is Cabernet & Carne at Vergelegen. Pictured above is waitron Taux Jongwe, ready to guide you through your winter warming experience at this beloved estate.

Chefs Matthew Meintjies and Heinrich Strydom focus on plating the meals.

Executive Chef, Michelle Barry, welcoming guests to the pop-up, with the enticing scent of warm seeded bread rolls.

Guest Judy Brower, left, and Sue Steenkamp, Vergelegen Hospitality Manager.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast, wrote the legendary management guru, Peter Drucker.

To be clear, he didn’t mean strategy was unimportant – rather that a powerful and empowering culture was a surer route to organisational success, explains

www.managementcentre.co.uk

And what might that mean, when talking about an enchanting new restaurant at Vergelegen Estate?

Perhaps this:

The initial experience of genuine welcome, the personal authenticity offered in every handshake and smile, the heartfelt pride in guests’ satisfaction, and the respectful honour of centuries of heritage, are the real menu items, here at Cabernet & Carne.

This humble little eatery, located near the river on this historic estate, exudes a charming culture that immediately hits the heart, with a feeling called “home”.

Kahlil Gabran once said: “Work is love made visible.”

And the “work” by the team here feels “net so”.

When Vergelegen Estate began its series of delightful “pop-up” restaurants, the team showed a rare and delightful understanding that food is all about “a sense of occasion”, and “everything is theatre!” (my words, not theirs – but I think I'm correct).

First came the inaugural Nguni Café, transforming cattle paddocks into a land of wonder, then the River Café alongside the tumbling Lourens River, the elegant Francophile Café Fleur and the revived historic Rose Terrace – and Cabernet & Carne is just as expressive, and rich with charisma, as its siblings which led the way.

The tumble-down old farm cottage lies at the north-eastern corner of Vergelegen, and has been exquisitely restored in an old Cape agricultural vernacular, worthy of a boutique museum.

The dining takes place either outside, in a little whitewashed courtyard, or inside… a bustling open-plan kitchen main area, or tiny little rooms, which typified quaint little homes of old.

What you will see, if you look closely at the images on this page, is a team of professionals who’ve been given the licence to be their true selves... led by a genuine servant leader: the estate’s MD, Wayne Coetzer.

And when you get that right, then culture sure does eat strategy for breakfast.

The Menu:

Priced at R495 per person, the menu features delicious, traditional South African dishes.

1. Homestyle beginning: Ouma’s traditional bean soup with farm bread and Cabernet butter, alternatively a vegetarian bean soup with a mignonette sauce.

2. Main chapter: Entrecôte steak, or baby spatchcock chicken, or aubergine schnitzel, served with unlimited fries and a green salad.

3. Delightful end: Old-fashioned souskluitjies – cinnamon dumplings – topped with a crème brûlée custard.

4. Lekker last sip: Moerkoffie with a splash of condensed milk.

A selection of Vergelegen red and white wines, liqueurs and beverages is available (not included in the set menu price).

Head out there from Wednesday to Sunday, between noon and 5pm (kitchen closes at 13.30pm).

Reservations are essential, at 021 847 2111 or info@vergelegen.co.za