Events during the silly season in Hermanus and the surrounds!

It's 29 days until Christmas ! Can you believe how quickly another year has sped past us. If you are heading to Hermanus this year there are a lot of activities to keep yourself busy and if you don't have anything to do wherever you are... then come to Hermanus :)
 
Here is a list of events. I will update it as I scout and hear of more! I also have a giveaway at the end of the post :)
 
Hermanuspietersfontein

I popped in at Hermanuspietersfontein(HPF) yesterday to buy a bottle of their Posmeester which is  a Bordeaux style blend that I love. It's an easy drinking red wine perfect to enjoy at a braai or at a relaxed dinner with friends. I can't wait to open my bottle this weekend!

A little birdie then told me that HPF will be very busy this 'silly season' with a lot of events!

They have erected a massive tent over their 'markie' area so come rain or shine you can enjoy your Saturday market in comfort. Good news also is that the 17th of December they will host a night market! You will be treated to live music, delicious food and lots of merry wine. I will definitely be there!

Other events that you should diarise are

• 3rd & 10th December: Midweek wine and tapas from 17:00-19:00
• 16th December: Dinner with Barefoot Bella in the Cellar who will travel all the way from Langebaan to spoil you for only R450 pp . Only 40 spots are available so book ASAP(details below)
• 19th December: Dinner with Eat Greek's Nikki in the Cellar who will spoil you with 'local is lekker' food at only R350pp. Only 40 spots available.
• 20th December: The Tributes and Shadow Band will take you back to the 50's, 60's and 70's. It's R110pp and you can bring your own picnic basket. Wine you can buy at HPF! You can also order a picnic basket when you buy your ticket if it's more convenient for you. You can arrive from 18:00. Only 200 spots available. I have two tickets to give away. Read all about it below.
• 23rd December: Black Tie Braai event is where the HPF skapie will give back with a wine auction where 100% of the proceedings will go to the Sondagskoolfonds. This charity provides technology for 5-8 year olds from the local community to facilitate their reading and writing skills. Wine and canapés will be provided at R200 pp. Only 200 seats are available.
• 27th December: Tribal Echo live in Skapie's Yard. This will be the 4th year that this event will take place. At R100 pp you can join the tradition. You can bring your own picnic basket or order one when you book your tickets. HPF wine will be sold at the event. Naturally :)
• 30 th December: Eet Italiaans in die kelder is a three course meal that will tantalise the tastebuds. For R350 pp only 40 people will be lucky enough to enjoy this treat.
• 31st December: Don't have NYE plans yet? If you want to you can 'dans in die nuwe jaar met die skapie!' A lot of food, wine and bubbles will be available for you to party into 2015 at R450pp from 19:00-02:00.  A live DJ will make sure that no wallflowers are present at the party.
• Every Saturday: The HPF market from 09:00-13:00 come rain or shine. Freshly baked breads, chacuterie and more can be enjoyed by all.

For tickets you can contact Anika at anika@hpf1855.co.za
For more information visit HPF's website
Tweet them @hpf1855
Like them on Facebook
Instagram them at hpf_skapie


The Color run in Hermanus

Yes you read that correctly. The Colour Run is coming to Hermanus. I am one of the few that have not done the colour run at all so I am super excited to take part in this event the 27th of December. It is said to be the happiest 5 km of your life! I am definitely down for that. The event will start at the Hermanus High school at 15:00. It's R220 pp and the ticket includes the following

• Official Color run tshirt
• Color run sweatband
• 1 bag of Color powder
• 1 Temporary happy tattoo
• Race number
• Entry to the finish festival

You can buy your tickets online or at The Burgundy restaurant, The Eatery or Vodacom Shop in Hermanus. See you there!

For more information visit this website
Like them on Facebook
Tweet them @TheColorRunSA


Gabrielskloof

One of my favourite wine farms in the Overberg area is Gabrielskloof and they also host their annual 'Favourite things Market'  the 12th&13th of December. The festivities will kick off at 17:00 the Friday afternoon and you will be treated to home-made crafts, food and refreshing wine. This is an event not to be missed. I attended the market two years ago where I spent the entire Saturday feasting of fresh food and sipping on too many glasses of wine. One tip: don't forget the sunscreen as I learned the hard way :)

For more information visit their website
Tweet them @Gabrielskloof
Like them on Facebook and RSVP to the event here

Hermanus Country Market
 
This family orientated market runs every Saturday 09:00-13:00 at the Hermanus cricket field. They have a variety of  fresh produce, home made delicacies, crafts,  wine and more. This is also a child friendly market with a jungle gym and other activities to keep the little ones busy.

The Summer Night market will be Wednesday evenings on the 10th, 17th and 31st of December as well as the 7th and 14th of January.

There also is a Camphill Farm market the 16th of December from 09:00-13:00 where all the proceeds will go to the Camphill Farm Community.

 

For more information visit their website
Tweet them @HermanusMarket
Like them on Facebook

First Fridays Artwalk

Twelve art galleries in Hermanus remain open until 21:00 the 5th of December so that art lovers can join in on a marathon of art appreciation. Wine and small bites are on sale as you travel from one gallery to the next. Below is a map so that you can plan your visit!

 

Like them on Facebook to see how awesome the previous artwalk was as well as stay updated with the upcoming event!

Stanford Sunset Market and Saturday morning market

 Every last Friday of the month can be enjoyed by attending the Stanford Sunset Market. This will take place the 28th of November and 26th of December at the Stanford Village green from 18:00-20:00.
 

 

Every Saturday morning the town of Stanford comes to life with their morning market where fresh produce and home-made goodies are sold at great prices. One of my favourites is Havercroft's fudge! The market runs from 09:30-12:00 so you can sleep in a bit before you venture out! You will find the market at the Stanford Hotel veranda. Enjoy!

For more information visit the official Stanford website
Tweet them @visitstanford
Like them on Facebook 
 
GOOD NEWS! You can win two tickets to the Tribute show at Hermanuspietersfontein the 20th of December. Here is how you enter

• Share this post on Facebook and comment on my blog or my Facebook page what your favourite 50's, 60's or 70's song is.

or/and

• Share this post on Twitter and add the following: @LoveHeartsFood I love the oldies #HPFskapie

If you share on Twitter and Facebook you will receive two entries so your chance of winning will be increased :) The winner will be selected by a random number generator and announced the 5th of December. Competition closes the 4th of December at 00:00.

Good luck and I hope you are planning a fantastic holiday!

Stanford wine route

I have written about the wine farms in the Hemel and Aarde Valley near Hermanus but the fun does not stop there. When you venture towards Stanford there are more wine farms and breweries to explore and enjoy.

Stanford Hills
Stanford Hills has a lot to offer. We enjoyed some wine tasting and a cheese&chacuterie platter here but they also have cosy cottages that you can plan a great weekend away to. Guests are free to explore the farm or enjoy horse-riding. The establishment is pet and child friendly so you don't have to leave your bambinos at home. If I did not live so close to Stanford Hills this would definitely been an option for a weekend away with friends. The cottages are R700 a night and sleeps four.

But we wanted wine...

Now to get to the wine-tasting/restaurant. They are geared for the summer and winter months. During the winter you can sip your wine next to one of the two fireplaces or in the summer chill on the veranda. There is a large lawn and dam where children or your furry friends can run around on as well as a sandpit, trampoline and jungle gym.

Large lawn outside

A great spot to enjoy lovely summers day

You can compile your own cheese and chacuterie platter from their tick list. They are reasonably priced and portions are great. The menu changes as they use fresh and organic produce but you can look forward to dishes such as pork belly, rare roast beef ciabatta, mushroom aranchini balls and more.

Cheese and wine...what more do you want!

The wine I enjoyed the most was their Sauvignon Blanc. I loved the fresh citrus flavour the wine had. I look forward to the warm December holidays where I will definitely be enjoying a bottle of this on their sunny veranda.

Happy tasters!

 

Visit them at Stanford Bridge
Open Thursday-Monday 11:00-17:00 and 7 days a week during peak holiday times.
Contact them at 028 341 0841
Like them on Facebook


Birkenhead brewery

Welcome to Birkenhead estate

Birkenhead brewery is the first wine and brewery estate in the southern hemisphere. They offer beer and wine tastings so no one will feel left out when you visit them. Now I am not a beer lover but still tried the tasting. The one beer I did enjoy was the Honey Blond Ale. The other beers you can taste are their premium larger, pride, pilsner, chocolate malt stout and the black snake. The beer lovers who joined me loved the tasting. They have a large lawn where you can sit in the sun, taste beer en be merry.

All the beers available for tasting

Tasting is available Monday-Sunday 10:00-17:00. They also offer a brewery tour Wednesday-Friday from 11:00-15:00. Visit their restaurant Wednesday-Sunday from 11:00-16:00 for pub style meals.

The beer lovers

Located on the R326, Standford
Contact them at 028 341 0013


Raka

If you continue of the R326 you will find Raka on your right. We usually always have a bottle of Raka in our home. The Raka Spliced and Quinary are two red wine blends that I will never say no to if I am offered a glass. Raka is owned by the Dreyer family. The name came from Piet Dreyer's ship. He was a commercial fisher once upon a time. Piet's son Josef, who is the wine maker, hosted a great tasting experience for us and took time to explain all the logistics of the farm and his wine making.

Some of the reds

 They have a lot of wines and offer a free tasting. You will definitely find something your like. The prices per bottle range between R48-R121 so it will please all budgets. The tasting room is not anything special, we enjoyed sitting outside on the terrace in the sun, but they make up for that with their great wines. Raka also has a stall at the  Hermanus Country Market so if you can't head out to them you can treat yourself at the market!

Cheers!

Open Monday-Saturday 09:00-17:00
Contact them at 028 341 0676 or info@rakawine.co.za
Like them on Facebook

Boschrivier De Villiers Estate

Situated right next to Raka you will find the tasting room and coffee shop of Boschrivier. The tasting room and tasting experience was a bit bland but they have an excellent Rose that is worth the drive to the estate.

Visit them Monday-Sunday
Contact them at 021 341 0630

Have I left out any of your favourite wine farms in the Stanford area?? Happy tasting :)

Overberg wine

Flocktober Festival in Stanford

If you are in the Hermanus/Stanford area early in October be sure to pay this festival a visit

 

 

For more information visit their Facebook-page

Food heroes of Stanford

All my posts about the Overberg has been featured on the website Countrylove . This website wants to showcase all the Overbeg area has to offer and I personally have discovered so much more about the  area I sometimes call home. This website is also a great source if you plan on getting married in the Overberg or host a function. 

Countrylove focuses on a variety of aspects such as weddings, feasting :) , suppliers, venues and everything that's lovely and pretty from the Overberg. I write feasting features for them.

A few weeks ago I was honoured to visit and feast at the personal home of Innes and Brydon from Havercroft's . The food was out of this world, as it always is, but there I met Cath who introduced me to Food heroes. Food heroes focus on creating a platform for food producers of the Overberg area, especially Stanford, to reach their full potential.

We always rely on the big supermarkets to get our necessities but why not buy directly from the producer ,save money and get everything as fresh as it possibly can be. I would especially keep this in mind if I am staying, vacationing or planning a function in the Overberg area. 

 

Below you will find some more information provided by Cath about Food Heroes. I personally have sampled some of the food produce below as some of them are stationed at the Saturday morning market in Stanford. I can 100 % guarantee top produce and quality.

Bringing the local back into our homes

Just east from Hermanus is a rich and fertile valley nestled between the Kleinrivierberg mountain range and the sea. The Kleine River valley has long been known as the ‘pantry of the Cape’ and its fertile potential continually attracts and inspires individuals to start up food activities.

But it is often difficult for these small-scale food producers to raise awareness of what they do. You can sometimes find them at local markets but the rest of the time you are forced to buy mass-produced food products from those huge supermarkets we both love and hate.

In Stanford, a small town on the Klein River, two women have started up a campaign to bring local consumers and food producers together. By knowing who to contact to buy local cheese, eggs, breads, meats, honey and preserves, they believe it should be easier for consumers to buy locally and easier for these local food producers to make a better living.

They also believe it’s time to bring the local back into our homes. Why buy a lettuce grown just 4kms from your home but shipped across the country and back to your local supermarket. Wouldn’t you rather buy it direct from the producer? It’s not good for the producer who receives little for their product, it’s not good for the consumer who pays more for something less fresh, and it’s not good for the environment thanks to the resources used to ship it round the country.

There are already 15 local Food Heroes on the Stanford Food Hero list and this number is growing. A brochure has been distributed with photos, stories and contact details of all the Heroes and they are running a market stall to promote the campaign. And this is just the beginning.

For more information about the campaign, contact Cath Croxton on croxton@gmail.com (078 254 5693) or Jenny Sauer on jennysauer40@yahoo.co.uk (076 257 9983)

Havercrofts - The celebrity of Stanford

Havercrofts was recently listed by Eat Out as one of the best country-style restaurants in South-Africa.  To say that you are going to experience delicious food and be entertained throughout your whole meal is an understatement.

Havercrofts is situated near Stanford. It is run by Chef Brydon and his wife Innes. It is only open for lunch from Thursday to Sunday but a visit here will never disappoint.

This entertaining duo of Havercrofts

I was privileged to visit them for Christmas lunch recently. Our table was seated on the patio under some vine leaves overlooking fields filled with sheep and horses grazing. You wont find a more fitting country view than at Havercrofts.

You will be warmly greeted by the charismatic, opinionated and extremely entertaining Innes. If conversation during your meal dwindles be sure that Innes will pop by to help stir on the pot.

Attention to detail will always be observed at Havercrofts. For our Christmas lunch we all received some of Brydon's famous fudge.

The feasting then commences. They do not have a set menu as Brydon likes to cook with the freshest and most seasonal produce he can find. Be expected to be wowed by dishes such as the three cheese soufflés, pork belly, mushroom risotto, kudu fillet with a black pepper sauce, chicken escalope, home-made ice-cream, blue cheese panacotta, flourless chocolate.......

Prices average at R40-R50 for a starter, R95 upwards for a main and R40 for a dessert.

Our options for Christmas were...

Smoked salmon soufflé

Chilled red pepper and tomato soup

The roast turkey and gammon with all the trimmings.As you can see here Brydon does not skip on portion sizes.

Christmas pud ice-cream

Crepe orange,lemon and brandy

Another part of the Havercroft experience is the small shop where you can buy biscuits, jams and the BEST FUDGE ever made by Brydon. The fudge this man provides for you have caused some frequent sugar rushes in my family.

Drinkwise the winelist is minimalistic but still with great choices to choose from. The allow corkage at R20 per bottle. Softdrinks are served by the glass.

At Havercroft you are treated as family. Everyone will feel special and it will almost be as if you have just had a meal in you own house.

Address: Main road, R43, about 500 meters from Stanford. Its situated next to a kennel.
Open for lunch from Thursday to Sunday from 12:30 - 15:00
Telephone number: 028 341 0603

My fabulous stuffed happy family at our Christmas lunch!