In the picturesque Riebeek Valley lies Bartholomeus Klip, an historic farmhouse that offers its guests a taste of opulent country living served with generous portions of food and relaxation.
“If you sit quietly on the stoep you may hear his quills rattling” said Attie as I dash outside to catch a glimpse of the resident porcupine, who is apparently fond of the herb garden at Bartholomeus Klip. While I sip my cup of tea listening to the croaking frogs and waiting patiently for the porcupine to re-appear, I muse about a rather interesting tale in the farm’s history that also involves a porcupine.
In 1714 the owner of the farm, Franz Joosten, was reported missing to the local magistrate by his wife, Maria Joosten, who claimed the last time she saw her husband was when he set off into the veld to search for missing livestock. After much investigation and the interrogation of a few of the farm’s slaves, it came to light that Franz hadn’t gone missing. He had been murdered by his wife (she said he treated her badly and never bought her clothes) and his body was eventually found in a porcupine hole behind the farmhouse.
Bartholomeus Klip farmhouse.
Thankfully today things are far more serene at Bartholemeus Klip and the only thing that could kill you is over-eating. In fact the first thing that greeted me upon my arrival was the sunny conservatory where dining takes place, with the tables neatly laid awaiting guests for dinner. As I entered the farmhouse the homely smell of cooking wafted up my nostrils. “Hmmm, that smells like lamb,” I thought to myself as Lesley Gillet showed me to my room for the night. Turns out I was correct as the menu for evening reflected lamb neck that had been cooked for 36 hours, served with creamed mielies, parisienne potatoes, spinach rosemary jus and saffron foam. Suddenly I couldn’t wait for dinner and it seemed quite far away. Little did I know that by the time dinner was served I would’ve have eaten enough food to feed a small village!
Plated pressed lamb at Bartholomeus Klip.
Not many establishments allow you into their kitchen, but at Bartholomeus Klip you are invited behind the kitchen doors and into Louise Gillet’s world, where she will show you how to prepare various dishes and often ones that are on the menu for the evening. That afternoon she demonstrated to us new arrivals how to make a pumpkin risotto (get the recipe here), pressed lamb (that I had smelt cooking on arrival) and a guava crumble soufflé. The whole affair was completely relaxed and unlike being in your mother’s kitchen, we were encouraged to pick at the food and stir the pot. At the end of each recipe demonstration the food is beautifully plated (Louise’s favourite part of cooking is the plating) and before we knew it, our tummies were bulging with risotto and lamb, with just enough room left for the most beautiful guava crumble soufflés I have ever seen.
Pumpkin risotto at Bartholomeus Klip.
If that wasn’t enough, we each received a copy of Life on a Cape Farm by Louise and Lesley Gillet (they’re twins by the way, so prepare to do a double take at some point in your stay) to take home. It’s no surprise that this recipe book was a winner at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards – you can almost smell the country air as you flick through the pages and the food looks so good you’ll find yourself wanting to lick the recipe pages!
Louise Gillet and her team.
The eating doesn’t end there. After the cooking demonstration it was time for “tea” in the lounge. All of us groaned that there simply wasn’t space in our tummies for tea, but somehow we managed to munch our way through freshly baked scones, spinach & gruyere parcels, creme brûlée tarts, creamed horns with toasted coconut and sweet onion & goats cheese tarts. It was at this point that one of the guests eloquently pointed out that “one needs a form of a food spittoon at Bartholomeus Klip!” The food is so good though that spitting it out isn’t an option – rather make sure you go there with loose fitting clothing and a needle and thread in case you lose a button.
High Tea at Bartholomeus Klip.
After tea, Daniel took us on a two-hour drive through the farm’s 10 000 acre reserve, home to over 850 plant species and over 600 head of game. En route we met some of the buffalo that are part of the farm’s foot-and-mouth-free buffalo breeding programme. I learnt that foot-and-mouth is passed through the buffalo mother’s milk and in order to eradicate the disease, baby buffalo were taken away from their mothers and surrogate Jersey cows took over. Apparently now that the disease is non-existent in Bartholomeus Klip’s buffalo, the cows are used for farm milk instead.
The buffalo breeding project at Bartholomeus Klip.
The Limieteberge Mountains form a sweeping backdrop to the reserve (the mountains were given that name by the locals as they thought the mountain was the end of the world) where we saw bontebok, eland, gemsbok, a bat-eared fox and a herd of quagga, which are also part of a breeding programme (there are only 120 quagga in the world and Bartholomeus Klip has approximately 30 of them). We were also shown the tortoise enclosure where 150-odd rare geometric tortoises are kept, having been saved after a fire destroyed their habitat. In between all of this, Daniel pointed out the different types of fynbos and rare flowers and offered us drinks. From foot-and-mouth-free buffalo to fynbos, to quaggas and a geometric tortoise sanctuary, this is no ordinary game drive! However I was a little disappointed not to see a “feral pig” as much was said about them and I had never heard of them. Apparently feral pigs are a problem in the Riebeek Valley and I can only imagine what must’ve happened the day a group of rogue pigs escaped their pigsty and ran for the hills!
Fields of fynbos in the reserve at Bartholomeus Klip.
We returned to the farmhouse as night was falling and were welcomed home with lanterns lining the wrap-around verandah, flickering candles on the tables in the conservatory and a blazing fireplace in the lounge. Having had a two-hour break from eating, I found myself disgustingly munching my way through the salmon canapés served with drinks before dinner while listening to bleating lambs from the stoep. The farm’s main activity is Merino sheep (there are over 3 000 of them) and guests are welcome to watch the sheepdogs in action or take in the sheep shearing (February and September). Interestingly, in addition to farming sheep, wheat and canola, the farm also grows hemp. Now that’s forward-thinking!
Bontebok in the reserve at Bartholomeus Klip.
Drinks (and of course snacks) are followed by a four-course dinner, accompanied by a fine selection of wines, including the farm’s own wine. Before the first dish is presented, guests are given a warm towel infused with lavender to clean their hands (or put on their faces as I did!) That evening we were treated to mussels cooked in red onion, ginger, chilli, fermented black beans, garlic & sour cream, a roasted pumpkin soup, the 36-hour pressed lamb (the most heavenly lamb I have ever tasted), with a rich torte for dessert – think ganache, orange pancake, walnut cream and caramel ice-cream… How I fitted it all in I have no idea, but by this stage I think my stomach had accepted that refusing delectable food was simply not an option and just obliged by expanding at a rapid rate. The button on my skirt, however, was not so obliging and at this point fell to the floor in defeat.
Bartholomeus Klip souffles.
After a hot bath in the Victorian bath followed by a nightcap of sherry and a chocolate, I had a restful night under cotton sheets and a fluffy duvet. Only to wake up in the morning feeling slightly peckish! Astounded that I needed more food (and a cup of tea) I made my way to the lounge, still in my pyjamas – they make it all so homely that you forget there are other guests – and found more than tea and coffee. There were fruit juices, muffins, biscuits, rusk and a bowl of fruit. Armed with a banana and a cup of tea I made my way out to the stoep and took in the farm sounds while wondering if the staff run around first thing spritzing lavender oil on everything. The whole farmhouse is swathed in a delicate hue of lavender and other essential oils, making it feel like you are at an aromatherapy retreat. Perhaps there’s something in those oils that make you constantly hungry too!
A small part of the breakfast offering at Bartholomeus Klip.
Guests can go on a morning game drive, but there’s no 5am start here! The game drive is later in the morning, allowing for a languid lie-in, followed by brunch in the conservatory. Once again, there was a wide array of treats creatively laid out to lure you into food heaven. Realising that this was going to be my last meal at Bartholomeus Klip, I tucked into muesli pie, strawberries, peaches, guavas and yoghurt drizzled with farm honey. That was just first course… Then I had a butternut crumpet, an egg roll with ham & caramelized onions, a few slices of cold meat and some cheese. Over my eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato and mushrooms, I watched the weavers crafting their nests through the windows and contemplated how I was going to go back to real life. Then I remembered that I had a copy of Life on a Cape Farm and could recreate some of the delicious dishes I had been treated to. Now all I need is a historic farmhouse in The Swartland, a herd of sheep and a herb garden. And perhaps a pet porcupine…
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Bartholomeus Klip and Food Routes
Bartholomeus Klip is included as one of the places you can stay on Food Routes – an online expressway to an array of ‘wine, dine and recline’ adventures across South Africa. Read more about Food Routes and book an indulgent culinary quest. You won’t be sorry, but your waistline could be…
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