FARM STALL MAGIC
Sunday, 4th November 2018
Our favourite farms stalls in the Eastern Cape.
In South Africa, farm stalls are firmly embedded into our road trip and holiday culture; it goes together like custard and malva pudding, a boerie and a braai, moerkoffie and homemade rusks. Farm stalls are more than just a stretch-your-legs stop, it is the staple of any journey, the place you go when you are running low on jams, looking for a quirky gift, fresh produce or simply craving roosterkoek. It's where you hit the brakes, pause on life, feel at home and become part of a community.
From the Karoo to the coast, to the highlands, the diverse landscapes of the Eastern Cape are dotted with unique pit stops and here are nine farm stalls – or padstalle - where the welcome is so warm, the kettle is already boiling.
TOLBOS COUNTRY SHOP & RESTAURANT
Situated in the Gamtoos Valley, the fruit basket of the Eastern Cape and home to Sarah Baartman, Tolbos has been around since 1988, and was the first farm stall in the Patensie area. Popular with day-trippers in search of the famous Patensie chips as well as those en route to Baviaanskloof, you simply can’t miss out on the chance to wine and dine, stock up on local products and catch a few entertainment acts.
Tolbos is in Fred Ferreira Road, Patensie, and open from 08:30 to 17:30 from Monday to Saturday and 08:00 to 17:00 on Sundays.
OUDEBOSCH FARM STALL
Oudebosch is the Eastern Cape’s gateway to the Garden Route, and Route 62, and a welcome coffee stop, leg-stretcher, and shopping basket-filler whether you are on your way to Eersterivier, the Langkloof, Tsitsikamma or continuing on the N2 to your final destination. Home to hearty meals, legendary fresh-from-the-fire roosterkoek, proteas, a fine selection of wines, gifts and treats (as well as a few grocery basics), a tourist information, and Ginger the famous Tsitsikamma cat, Oudebosch Farm Stall is a must stop.
Oudebosch is on the R102, at the Kareedouw/ Eersterivier off-ramp and open daily, from 07:00 to 18:00.
DAGGABOER FARM STALL
The name might convince you otherwise, but Daggaboer Farm Stall will treat your senses to an euphoric high with their homemade ginger beer or lemonade on-the-house taster upon entry, Karoo hospitality, tasty roosterkoek fillings, such as the biltong paste, and, of course, the no-nonsense humour that lets you in on the secret that moerkoffie is in and cappuccino is… well, cappuccino still a foreign concept in the countryside. You can also shop around for local products, from gifts to decorations to handmade sheepskin slippers perfect for those Karoo winter nights.
Daggaboer is situated on the N10, 48 km from Cradock and open from 08:00 to 17:00 during the week and 08:00 to 15:00 during weekends.
NANAGA FARM STALL
Nanaga had a humble beginning: starting as a one-woman operation nearly fifty years ago with fresh pineapple, vegetables and pies sold from a tiny roadside venue, but today you can’t talk about famous farm stalls in South Africa, let alone the Eastern Cape, without mentioniong Nanaga and without Nanaga dominating the conversation. And what’s on everyone’s lips when they talk about this farm stall? Of course the famous Nanaga pies! Of the more or less 3000 pies they make from scratch every day, lamb and mint is still a firm favourite after all these years. And there’s much more than just pies; local products and fresh produce are plenty, Sunday lunches are popular and it is also home to the much loved Nanaga MTB race and Nanaga Festival.
Image: Sabrina Engelbrecht
Nanaga Farm Stall is situated between the N2, N10 and start of Route 72 and open daily from 08:00 to 17:30.
BADDAFORD FARM STALL
When you pull into Fort Beaufort and ask for restaurant suggestions, Baddaford Farm Stall, just a stone’s throw out of town, towards Katberg and the Amothole mountains, is handed to you on silver plate of hospitality, with a slice of citrus on the side. Baddaford is in the Kat River Valley and there’s always a few crates of naartjies, oranges, pomelos or lemons, ready to welcome you, alongside avocados during the winter months. Here you can stop for meals, get locally produced products and even shop for a plant or two from their nursery.
Baddaford Farm Stall is situated on the R67 (7km northwest of Fort Beaufort) and open weekdays 08:00 to 16:30, Saturdays 08:30 to 15:30 and Sundays from 10:00 to 15:30.
EAGLEHOUT PADSTAL
Eagle Hout Padstal in Bedford is more than just your average farm stall, while it has a restaurant and stocks the standard preserves and gifts, such as the scoop-it-yourself bath salts, it is also home to a nursery, an upcycled kitchen garden, complete with eco-bricks and fresh veggies that might make their way onto your plate, and a display room (as well as the workshop) of solid wood hand-crafted furniture. Look out for photo opportunities: the giant chair and giant tyre swing!
Eaglehout Padstal is in Jan Van Riebeeck Street in Bedford and open from 08:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturdays and until 14:30 on Sundays.
OAKLEY FARM STALL
If you are travelling along Route 72, you are travelling in the direction of the best pineapple juice you will ever come across, served at Oakley Farm Stall (and we promise, we are not biased, our taste buds agree). And if you need to cool down some more and give the summer heat an extra kick to the curb, there’s also homemade ginger beer: “like granny used to make”. Don’t forget to grab a South African favourite from the menu, your favourite preserve from the shelf and a gift for your loved ones back home.
Oakley Farm Stall is 18 km west of Alexandria on the R72 and open daily from 08:00 to 17:00, except for Saturdays when they close at 15:00.
DIE DORPSTAL
Situated in Barkley East - en route to Rhodes, Lady Grey or a Tiffendell ski adventure - is Die Dorpstal, a quaint shop-farm-stall-restaurant where the owner lives by the words of, “too much of a good thing is fantastic”. They serve light meals, bake finger-licking-good gourmet cupcakes and have crafts and goodies on sale from unique home decorations to furniture and even have the odd art exhibition from time to time.
Die Dorpstal is on the corner of Cole Street and open from 08:00 to 19:45 during the week, 08:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
THE LUNCHBOX
Newly opened in Alexandria along Route 72, The Lunchbox serves delicious coffee and fantastic samoosas, amongst other tasty treat.
The Lunchbox is located on Route 72 in Alexandria's main thoroughfare and is open daily from 06:00 to 21:00.
Find out more about these wonderful Eastern Cape regions:
KAROO HEARTLAND │GREATER ADDO │ROUTE 72 ON THE SUNSHINE COAST │
KOUGA TOURISM ROUTES │WILD COAST │AMATHOLA MOUNTAIN ESCAPE │TSITSIKAMMA
