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www.thevillagenews.co.za
3 March 2021
LOVE A LITTLE LOCAL
The fine art of country hospitality House, which has gone on to win one gastronomic accolade after another. They aim for wholesome country fare presented with sophisticated flare. Chef Janine van der Nest, who has been there for the past 18 months, is as passionate about the restaurant and the quality of food they offer as they are.
Writer Elaine Davie Photographer Taylum Meyer
S
tanding on the wide-spreading green lawns of the Stanford Valley Guest Farm, looking across the horse paddock towards the Akkedisberg Mountain range opposite, the wistful voice of Meryl Streep (as Karen Blixen in the 1985 movie Out of Africa) comes suddenly to mind: “I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills”. Although her setting was British East Africa (later Kenya), it reminded me of how deeply ingrained is the love of the land in many South Africans. Like Elsabé Nauta, who with her husband Reinder, has owned this farm, 10 km from Stanford, since 2015. With a Huguenot pedigree stretching back to the 17th century, Elsabé grew up on the neighbouring farm, which is still owned by her brother. Her childhood memories include frequently visiting her friends on this farm which was owned by the de Kock family and as a teenager, dancing the night away on the farmhouse stoep.
The herb garden they planted some time back is flourishing and they are presently in the process of increasing its size and establishing a full vegetable garden. In the centre of the elegant path leading up to the front door of the restaurant is a fountain with a sculpture by well-known artist, Herman van Nazareth, several of whose other sculptures are dotted around the property.
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Although it is not certain when it was first occupied, Reinder estimates that it was probably in the early 19th century. Indeed, they recently uncovered an overgrown graveyard, containing graves dating from 1845 to 1905. It seems certain that the original owners kept cattle, since one of the old buildings was a milking shed with a sloping stone floor and sturdy, thick walls. After they took over the farm, they also discovered a witblits still, clearly indicating one of the pre-occupations of the de Kock ancestors. When they heard the farm was for sale in 2014, by then no longer owned by that family, Elsabé felt she had to have it back in her life. At that point it was known as the Syringa Guest Farm and, as she puts it, was what estate agents call a ‘renovator’s dream’. And she and doctor-turned-businessman, Reinder, who were then living in Cape Town, were just that – renovators with a passion. “Both of us love beautiful things,” she says, “and we wanted to restore it to its former dignity. We wanted our guests to enjoy it as much as we do and to soak up the peace of the countryside. Of course, we could never have done it without the help of our wonderful staff, like Manager Sarah Dix, most of whom have been with us from the beginning,” she adds. In early 2015 while they were planning renovations, they carried on the business where the previous owners had left off. However, determined not to let the grass grow under their feet, in December that year, they opened their restaurant, The Manor
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“You can’t believe what this entrance looked like when we came here,” laughs Elsabé. “There was a washing line right in front of the door, together with a rubbish bin and lots of chickens scratching in the dirt.” One step at a time, they have tackled the renovations. Accommodation is in the form of whitewalled cottages clustered around a central werf, each with its own small garden and some with an outdoor shower. There are 19 en suite bedrooms all together, some of which can sleep three people, so up to 50 guests can be accommodated at full capacity.
1 - Elsabé and Reinder have owned Stanford Valley Guest Farm since 2015. Elsabé grew up on the neighbouring farm and frequently visited as a teenager. 2 - Visitors to the farm's restaurant, Manor House, can look forward to a delicious meal while enjoying views of horses grazing in the paddock against the backdrop of the Akkedisberg Mountain range. 3 - Manor House Restaurant opened in December 2015 and has gone on to win one gastronomic accolade after another. 4 - The farm now also offers a spa where you will be able to enjoy massages, a steam room, a wood-fired sauna, an outside shower and a plunge pool.
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“There again,” explains Elsabé, “we refurbished everything from scratch, from reed ceilings, to new floors; and everything from pillow slips to furniture was replaced.” They have also restored what was called ‘Die Ou Huis’ and turned it into an informal entertainment area, where groups of people can organise their own braais and let their hair down.
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A large conference facility already existed, but they halved it, installing a fully-fledged art gallery, run by Barbara Lindop of Intethe Gallery in Hermanus in the other half. “It’s a beautiful space for displaying the pieces to their best advantage,” says Barbara. “I’m so pleased to have this wonderful collaborative relationship with Elsabé and Reinder, who have the most amazing private art collection of their own and a refined taste in African art.” Elsabé’s latest addition to the farm’s offerings is a spa, with a large massage room equipped to cater for couples; a wood-fired sauna, steam room, outdoor shower and plunge pool complete the package. She is very excited about it and the newly-introduced four-day Detox programme, which is proving to be very popular and includes the intriguing prospect of Secret Sunset or Sunrise Dances. For the more active guests there are several kilometres of walking and cycling trails through the fynbos, as well as the pièce de résistance, the large farm dam, with its cool clear mountain water, perfect for a swim on a hot summer’s day. If requested, the restaurant will provide a picnic lunch for guests
to enjoy beside the dam. Interestingly, Reinder mentions that the Klein River which runs through the farm is the longest in the world, at about 80 km, to square with such a short distance between source and mouth, only about 7 km. It will, of course be a huge relief when foreign visitors can return, says Elsabé, but she is nevertheless very happy about the growth in South African guest numbers. “We haven’t done much formal advertising,” she comments, “so it’s nearly all come about through word-of mouth referrals, which I guess is the best form of advertising there is. The whole alcohol aspect of the Covid
pandemic is still our greatest frustration, especially over weekends, when we are at our busiest, so we can only hope the government will normalise the situation before much longer.” In the meantime, ever optimistic, Reinder has planted new vineyards with Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, in the hope that the ban will have been lifted by the time the farm produces its own bubbly for the enjoyment of its guests. For more information visit www.stanfordvalley.co.za
