10 | FOOD & WINE
What's Cooking
26 February 2020
It’s good and clean and fresh By Hedda Mittner
I
t’s always gratifying to see a local business doing well. In the case of Emilia Knight’s Gallery Café and Deli, her growing popularity and the enthusiastic support she receives from locals and visitors alike, are well deserved, as a more passionate, dedicated and hard-working entrepreneur would be hard to find. Key to Emilia’s success is her boundless energy and inspired creativity, which she attributes to the simple fact that she loves what she’s doing. As the only vegan/vegetarian eatery and deli in Hermanus, Emilia’s heavenly plantbased meals and treats have seduced her customers to embrace ‘clean eating’, which she says is “not a diet but a happy and healthy lifestyle”.
ABOVE LEFT: The delightful courtyard garden of The Gallery Café at Walker Bay Modern Art Gallery. ABOVE: Emilia on her ebike which she recently acquired for her new delivery service.
Her innovative menu consists of what Emilia calls “simple, unadulterated, good-mood food”, with the focus on fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and the enjoyment of food in its most natural state. “When I opened in October 2018, people told me I was cuckoo,” Emilia remembers with a chuckle. “But I knew it was going to work. People have reacted so positively that the time was clearly ripe for a different approach.” The Gallery Café’s reviews on TripAdvisor bear witness to the fact that Emilia is onto a good thing. “So impressed. This is an experience! We all like eating nutritious healthy and tasty food. Emilia gets it right and in addition she is a warm, super-friendly host,” wrote a reviewer from Switzerland. “Our favourite place to eat in Hermanus! Beautiful location, delicious food and outstanding personal service from Emilia!” enthuses another. One from the UK says, “The cutest deli in Hermanus with coffee and cake to die for! The cheesecake is in my opinion the best I’ve ever tasted – it really was that good,” while another, also from the UK, exclaims, “What a find… Absolutely fab!” Most of the reviews mention Emilia’s cheesecake, proclaiming it the “best cheesecake in recent memory!” and even “the best cheesecake in the world”. What I especially enjoy about Emilia’s
“ The harmony between well executed food and a perfectly paired beer is unmistakable.”
LEFT: Emilia's son Scott serving a portion of her famous cheesecake. Scott has joined his mom as front of house, while his younger brother Oscar assists in the Deli. PHOTOS: Hedda Mittner
approach is how she’s shown that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring. Her food is not only innovative and delicious – it’s exciting, colourful and pretty. Who knew healthy eating could be this much fun? And forget about depriving yourself of wicked treats – Emilia serves plenty of those, too. “I’m a Libran and for me it’s all about balance,” she says. “I believe it’s healthy to live in contrast.” In addition to her famous cheesecake, Emilia has perfected the art of creating croissants that are simply irresistible, ranging from orange and almond, marmite and cheese, homemade lemon curd and cream, to Turkish Delight croissants. The latter is made with rose geranium-infused almond paste and Lindt white chocolate, sprinkled with pistachios and rose petals. (Just writing about it is enough to make my mouth water.) And then there are her equally famous sourdough breads, which now
come in various colours, from black (charcoal) to blue (butterfly pea flower) to yellow (turmeric and pumpkin seed oil). There really does not seem to be any end to her creativity. The Gallery Café, for those who have not discovered it yet, is situated behind the Walker Bay Modern Art Gallery in Main Road, and Emilia makes full use of the leafy courtyard, where customers can sit in the shade of a large Stinkwood tree, surrounded by beautiful artworks and with the gentle sounds of a water feature in the background.
teas and coffees, and a few lunch specials. Her business has grown organically as the demand increased, and her menu now offers a variety of breakfasts, sandwiches, platters, salads, sweets and treats, hot and cold drinks, smoothies and fresh juices. She has just received her liquour licence and is in the process of stocking up on local wines.
The cosy interior is filled with her personal touches, including crockery and vases from her home and odd pieces of upcycled furniture. The premises are also accessible from High Street, where the deli is located.
In November last year she opened the deli as an extension of The Gallery Café, where she and her team have to work in a tiny kitchen, so the extra space of the deli kitchen comes in very handy. Emilia also utilises this space for her monthly plant-based food workshops. Her latest venture is a delivery service by ebike, with Emelia herself doing the pedalling and personally delivering orders for breads, take-aways and picnic baskets to your doorstep.
Emilia started small, with a breakfast menu, freshly-baked pastries and cakes,
Emilia can be contacted on 076 837 4231.
4 BEERS, 4 BITES, R80.00 Experience the passion between Chef and Brew Master as they create these unique combinations of taste and flavour.
CHEF JO-ANNE. KARMENAADJIE RESTAURANT
From 10.30 at Die Markie, Saturday Morning Market Hermanuspieterfontein Cellar
