UT E O LAG KE IL ER TA R V OR U PL YO EX
THE VILLAGE
International Fusion Cuisine
FOOD | ART | WINE | BOOKS
New Summer Lunch Menu: R120 - 2 Course / R150 - 3 Course Open 7 days a week from 11:00 all day
Tel: 028 313 1685
Shop no. 4, Ocean View, 87 Marine Drive, Village Square
Lekker man, lekker Writer & Photographer Taylum Meyer “We are a small batch with a big heart,” is how Lise and Wihan Brink describe their new business, Mikro Coffee Co. Having joined hands with Hermanuspietersfontein (HPF), they now sell their coffee at the winery’s Saturday morning market, Die Markie, and at the newly renovated tasting room during the week along with simple, yet delicious platters and burgers. With quirky names such as Flavour of the North, Compass Blend and Don’t Panic, it’s Organic, this entrepreneurial couple source their coffee beans from Central and South America, Asia and Africa and produce six blends. Both Lise and Wihan are qualified baristas and chefs, having met as students at what is now known as the Hurst Campus Culinary Academy in Paarl, where they graduated in 2010. They both worked as chefs in Franschhoek until 2012 when Wihan decided he needed a break from the stress of the kitchen. This is when he started to explore his two other loves: wine and coffee. He worked as a wine representative for a German company before taking on the marketing of a friend’s coffee company in 2014. When he and Lise relocated to Hermanus in 2015, Wihan joined HPF as tasting room manager and also assisted with marketing and sales. Last year he began his own wine representative company, The Sourcerer, of which HPF is a client. During this time, Lise continued her work as a chef and then became involved in her friend’s health snack company as a product manager and producer. Always on the lookout for a new challenge, they decided earlier this year to start their own small batch coffee roastery, aptly named Mikro Coffee Co.
Over time Wihan has developed a close working relationship with HPF as they both embrace the philosophy that smaller is better, and passionately champion micro businesses (especially if they involve food or wine) such as those that feature at Die Markie every Saturday morning. Besides selling coffee from the tasting room during the week, Lise and Wihan have also been put in charge of creating a menu for visitors to the tasting room. Once again, it’s nothing fancy but good wholesome food such as a cheese and meat platter, and a Burger of the Day. The burger will change daily, from the type of meat that is used (chicken, lamb, beef, pork) to the cheese (blue cheese, gorgonzola, brie) and toppings (onion marmalade, coleslaw, Dijon mustard). Diners will also be recommended an HPF wine to pair with their food. The tasting room will be open from 08:00 – 16:00 from Monday to Friday for FREE winetasting, coffee from Mikro Coffee Co as well as platters and the Burger of the Day. Mikro Coffee Co will also be available on Saturdays at Die Markie. Contact 028 316 1875.
Join the Vine to Valley Trail Run this Saturday, 8 December. Choose between a 6 km or 12 km route following a single forest track to scenic viewpoints in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The trail run sets off from Hermanuspietersfontein at 08:00 and finishes at Die Markie, where refreshments will await the tired runners.
Wihan and Lise Brink in the newly-renovated tasting room at Hermanuspietersfontein, where visitors can enjoy free wine tasting along with Mikro Coffee, croissants, light meals and platters.
