Life slows down in Prince Albert
A royal time
Russell Wasserfall explored the wine-producing region of Prince Albert and discovered a food revolution occurring at the foot of the Swartberg Pass.
You need time in Prince Albert. The pace of life here just seems to slow down of its own accord. A quick trip up the Swartberg Pass will turn into a day-long meander. Walking to dinner at the Gallery Café in Church Street, you will find yourself stopped in a dusty street staring in slack-jawed wonder at the night sky.
If you pop in for lunch at Prince Albert Country Store you will probably end up chatting for an hour with William or Colleen. A visit to the butcher for some biltong or fresh lamb could turn into a discussion about some aspect of the town's history with Das or Johan.
There's something about Prince Albert, about the characters that live there, that gives it a warmth and ease that's just so... Prince Albert. Perhaps it's in the leiwater that gurgles its way in little canals and through sloots into the lush gardens of the properties that line Church Street.
Maybe its proximity to the eerily beautiful geological sculptures that frame the nearby Swartberg Pass gives time a new meaning here. Is it the fact that the sky is so huge and so obviously infinite here? This is not a place for a quick weekend away. A hike, a whip round all the attractions, a bit of a cheese or wine tasting and a little dinner at one of the restaurants just won't cut it. In fact, as the growing population of city transplants attests, if you spend enough time here you may never leave.
No fewer than 22 of the town's buildings are National Monuments, and it's the jump-off point for trips to Die Hel. There's the geological marvel of the Swartberg mountains and that breathtaking pass built by Thomas Bain. A world-class gallery displays work by prominent local artists, you can visit one of the finest museums in the Karoo, but most of all, there is a quiet food revolution happening here.
Lamb, that touchstone of Karoo cuisine and farming, is only the beginning. There is a far more abundant harvest to be had. The Swartberg range is blessed with abundant water that makes the nearby town a centre for the cultivation of stoned fruit like apricots, peaches and nectarines.
Swartrivier and Kredouw olive farms produce excellent oils and preserved fruit, and the nearby Weltevrede Farm is a noted South African producer of figs and Satsuma oranges. Bergwater Estate and SoetKaroo add the dimension of wine to the area.
At one end of town Gay's Guernsey Dairy provides milk and a range of awardwinning artisanal cheeses and local legend Jason Lucas is making very fine jamon serrano, the Spanish-style cured ham. It beggars belief that so much is going on here.
The town doctor, Pete Reinders, maintains a vegetable garden to supply the kitchens of the old-age home. His produce runs from cauliflower and cabbage to more exotic fare like bokh choi. Some of it also finds its way into local restaurants. And that's just the tip of the sandstone mountain range.
AFRICAN RELISH
I was first introduced to Prince Albert, truly introduced to it, by Jeremy Freemantle. Jeremy is the driving force behind African Relish, a recreational cooking school which he set up with Phillip and Lisa Key.
He is naturally curious about, and completely obsessed with food. At any given moment he will be busily engaged in finding out where to get good honey, fiddling with a tagine recipe, setting up a still with his friend and local legend Bokkie so they can make witblits, or butchering a pig to see how it's done. When all that's over, he still finds time to cycle up the pass or canoe on the local dam.
He's one of those who spent a little time in Prince Albert and then couldn't leave. It also just happened to be the ideal place to set up African Relish, a project he'd been dreaming and scheming about with Phillip and Lisa for years.
The school is run by Vanie Padayachee, who brings patience and skill to her role as head chef and instructor at African Relish. With a pedigree that extends from work in top London eateries to the title of Maitre Rôtisseur from Chaines des Rôtisseurs, Vanie focuses on exploring the diversity of SA cuisine with her students.
Courses are advertised on the website and include regular guest appearances by featured chefs such as Reza Mahammad, Jacques Erasmus and Ciro Molinaro. They usually take the form of an extended weekend and are designed to give as much time to cooking as to the discovery of the town's culinary nuggets and producers.
All this happens in a bespoke kitchen with restaurant attached, purpose-built for the school. The space just makes you want to pull down a copper pot and start cooking.
Vanie and Jeremy also devote a great deal of time to designing seasonal menus for the restaurant that operates at African Relish from Wednesday to Saturday for dinners. A typical meal might include locally hunted kudu with Weltevrede figs and Lucas Jamon, or local lamb roasted in a wood-fired oven with spinach from a nearby garden.
34 Church Street, tel 023 541 1381, www.africanrelish.com
BERGWATER
Twenty-two kilometres from Prince Albert one finds Bergwater Vineyards. Comprising of three farms totalling 1 500 hectares, just 72 are under vine with the rest utilised as a nature reserve.
Under the watchful eye of winemaker Mariska Vorster, the Dutch-owned farm produces a Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé and red blend. Vineyards are planted at an altitude of 700 to 900 meters above sea level and, with the vinification facilities recently completed, the 2009 vintages are the first to be made on the farm.
Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic basket along and the tasting room is open to the public from Monday to Saturday.
R407, tel 023 541 1703
SOETKAROO
SoetKaroo is one of the smallest wine farms in the country and it is literally just across the road from the Gallery Café. Herman and Susan Perold's house stands on the main street; behind it, there's a half-hectare of vines.
Herman tends to these, and although he could harvest as much as 10 tons from this little patch, he thins out the fruit during the season to yield about three. It's as much as the couple can handle in production, and means that only the very best berries make it to the tanks.
If it's early February, you might find Herman out harvesting Muscadel or Touriga Nacional later in the month. As March comes on he will harvest Petit Verdot and then a series of mini-harvests of the unusual red Hanepoot. No matter when you are there though, there's always time for a glass of wine.
The beautiful house they live and work in was originally intended as a holiday home for the former academics. The lure of Prince Albert won over though and within a year, they moved here permanently to restore the house and run a small guesthouse.
Herman flirted with growing almonds or figs, but finally, in 2000, he planted the vines under the guidance of friend Wouter Pienaar who thought a hobby vineyard would be a fun project.
Fun is probably not the first word the Perolds would use to describe their endeavors, but they are completely smitten with what they do. SoetKaroo's first vintage in 2004 won a double gold medal and the Garagiste Trophy at the 2005 Michelangelo International Wine Awards.
Since that early success, they battle to keep up with demand so there is neither the time nor the stock levels to enter competitions. The Perolds are content simply to make wines they love and share them with anyone who cares to pop in for a visit.
56 Church Street, tel 023 541 1768
GALLERY CAFÉ
African Relish is not the only eatery in Prince Albert using local produce. Brent Phillips-White is as committed to local ingredients as he is to South African art. His Gallery Café menu takes the best of what's available seasonally to present wonderful meals in an art-rich environment.
All this art is perfect for working up an appetite. On a beautiful evening - and there are many in Prince Albert - you can dine on the verandah with its views over the museum to the surrounding hills. The daily menu might offer herb-crusted lamb, kudu carpaccio or a wonderful casserole of free-range chicken raised nearby.
In season, figs abound, either in desserts and starters or as accompaniments to game and lamb dishes. A particular favourite is the rich chicken liver paté topped with a jelly made with the dessert wine from SoetKaroo. You may want to ask for extra bread with this, as there's no way a single scrap is going to find its way back into the busy little kitchen.
A carefully selected wine list is available, including local wines from SoetKaroo and Bergwater Cellars.
57 Church Street, tel 082 749 2128
WELTEVREDE FIGS
There's a shopping list of stuff you don't want to leave Prince Albert without, and one of those things is figs. The usual form is dried, but between January and May you will usually find them fresh. This is because it's harvest time at Weltevrede Farm.
If you follow Church Street, the main road through town, past Gay's Dairy and Dennehof Guesthouse, you will see the sign for Weltevrede. It's worth the 25km drive on a gravel road just for the views, but if they are picking you can treat yourself to fresh figs at the end of the trip.
Weltevrede has been in the family for six generations, and it is very much a family aff air with everyone contributing to the running of the farm. Visiting there is like stepping back in time as there is no electricity at this isolated spot, so everything from picking to processing the figs is done by hand.
Harvesting begins early with a prayer and a bible reading. Once the drying trays full of rich purple fruit are spread out in the sun, the men head into the orchards and the women begin cutting and peeling the figs.
The singing of the workers drifts from among the trees interrupted periodically by the startling report of a gas cannon used to scare away greedy birds.
If you have a mind to stay over and experience the peace of staying in an old farmstead where no electricity means candles, lanterns and cooking with gas, then you can chat to Liezl de Klerk or her husband Jaco.
If she offers to cook for you, say yes. Liezl's repertoire of fig-inspired breakfasts or hearty traditional meals with a modern twist is as luxurious as the accommodation in original farmhouses dating back to the early 1800s.
Splendid meals will also provide the perfect excuse to walk off the excess and explore the beauty of the farm in its dazzling setting.
Weltevrede Guesthouse, tel 023 541 1229
KAROO KOMBUIS
Around the corner from SoetKaroo, in Deurdrift Street, is a Prince Albert institution. Karoo Kombuis is the little six-table restaurant started by three former South African Airways cabin crew members.
Theunis, Michael and Denise bought the little house while they were working the airline's international routes. As they flew, they dreamt of Prince Albert and the cosy bistro they would open there one day, offering traditional Karoo fare.
At Karoo Kombuis, you aren't so much in a restaurant as you are in someone's home. The trio take delight in not fussing too much with the whole experience. You are invited to settle in, relax and just enjoy whatever is on the menu for the night.
There are people who've been going to Prince Albert for 10 years just to eat Theunis' slow-cooked lamb or try the chicken pie just once more. It's one of those things you just have to do when you visit.
Décor and lighting are quite theatrical, and the former flight attendants are an absolute hoot. As a nod to their prior occupation, they come around at the end of the evening with hot towels for your hands.
As with many other restaurants in Prince Albert, they're not licenced, so be sure to bring a bottle of something special with you.
18 Deurdrift Street, tel 023 541 1110
COUNTRY STORE
Back in town, you may want to take breakfast or lunch with William and Colleen Penfold at the Prince Albert Country Store. The store is stocked to the ceiling with the most amazing collection of cool old stuff, collectables, memorabilia and antiques.
Every time you visit it's different. The stock turns over so quickly that from week to week you arrive to find a completely different offering. If you see something you like, grab it. Chances are, if you blink it will be gone, such is their reputation for finding rare and excellent pieces.
Venture out into the back and you will find tables in a very tranquil garden setting. This is the best spot in town for a light lunch or a morning scramble and orange juice. And then there's that Prince Albert thing again. If you ask about a particular piece, or where the excellent honey comes from, hours will pass before you know it.
Dusk could find you enjoying a companionable beer with William on the verandah, watching the village amble by.
43 Church Street, tel 023 541 1053
SHOPPING
Prince Albert Country Store isn't the only place to shop in town, and there are a few items of produce you can't leave without. I've mentioned the figs from Weltevrede and the cheese from Gay's Dairy (tel 023 541 1274), but there's a honey producer nearby that you just won't believe. Karoo Gold at Leeu Gamka collects some of the finest organic honey you'll ever spread on your morning toast.
The local olive oil producers provide a fine drop to take home, as do SoetKaroo and Bergwater Vineyards (tel 023 547 7703).
Lazy Lizard, a coffee shop and store on the far end of Church Street, offers a good selection of local produce (tel 023 541 1379), and on a Saturday you have to hit the local market.
The market starts at a respectable 08:00 and a small selection of stalls offer everything from moer koffie and pancakes to whatever is being harvested in the fields.
This is also where you will find Hendry with his baked goods. Under Bokkie Botha's tutelage, Hendry has learnt the craft of baking and now supplies delicious bread and pastries to a number of local visitors as well as offering treats at his Saturday stall (tel 071 568 3824).
On your way out of town, pop in at Karoo Slaghuis and see what butchers Das and Johan have on offer. Whether it's some biltong or droëwors for the road, or a cut of lamb for the oven back home, they will send you on you way with the best Prince Albert can offer in the way of a kind word or a great story. Just be sure to have a little time to spare.
WHERE TO STAY
Prince Albert has a number of quaint, old guesthouses, but the four-star Dennehof, housed in one of the oldest buildings in town, built in 1835, is particularly special.
20 Christina de Wit Street, tel 023 541 1227
