Press Reviews

Travel.iafrica.com (13 November 2006)

JAN HARMSGAT COUNTRY HOUSE
Story of an African farm
Tom Gray
Thu, 26 Oct 2006

There's nothing like knocking off early on a Friday afternoon and heading for the country to make you feel that little bit smug.

Of course in Cape Town rush hour starts just after lunch time, so we did well to stay ahead of the logjam on the N1 and head for Swellendam, hitting the Breede River valley as the sun glinted golden off the Langeberg.

The winter rains were good this year. The farm dams are full, rows of vines flaunt their bright green spring plumage and fanfares of arum lilies burst from ditches and hillocks. Add a nun named Maria and a German family and we might just have burst into song.

We were destined for Jan Harmsgat, a somewhat eyebrow-raising name for a farm that is rapidly becoming known as one of South Africa 's finest country guesthouses.

Back in the 1700s this well-groomed valley was the wild frontier of the colony, home to rough-necks, traders and a farmer by the name of Jan Harman. Harman had a farm just outside Swellendam — four hours on horseback, but 15 minutes on modern day route 62. Chances are that he named it in early Spring, because he chose to call it Jan Harmans Schat — Jan Harman's Treasure.

And though the name may have become corrupted over the years, the sentiment is no less fitting these days.

Owners Brin and Judi Rebstein bought the farm on a whim fifteen years ago and with more than a hint of misty-eyed romance — Judi's family are old Swellendam stock with a long history of farming in the area. Since then it's been hard graft of restoring ancient farm buildings and helping the land recover from years of bad management.

We turn off the R60 into a drive lined by flowering fruit trees. A quince hedge leads to the old slave lodge which now houses four generous rooms fitted out with rich antique furniture offset by sympathetic modern touches. The rough-hewn beams that hold up the roof, and a lintel that sits well off the horizontal are a testament to the fact that this building is amongst the oldest in the area and, for that matter, the country.

Back at the farm, we warm up for what we're told will be a marathon dinner by taking a walk. Fields of fynbos are slowly recovering on the hills that overlook the river and the mountains, and with some recently-introduced wildlife lending an authentic air it really does feel like the promised land.

Elegant country cuisine

If the accommodation at Jan Harmsgat is alluring, the food is fabulous, and even if you're not staying at the farm a meal here is something special.

Judi's eyes light up when she tells of Lena , her chef, whose talent for cooking has seen her progress from absolute amateur to an accomplished gourmand who turns out elegant country cuisine deftly finished with farm herbs and flowers from the garden.

A sweet butternut ravioli is offset by a nutty parmagiano, roasted pumpkin seeds and crisp sage. It's followed by a heavenly fillet topped with a sauce made with local wild mushrooms — so local that you can pick them yourself if you're here at the right time. Dessert is an exquisite tarte citron with paper-thin crust and topped with delicate brulee. There's almost no space for the farm's organic cheeses, which range from a devilishly creamy gouda to a sharp crumbly Langeberger. They're best enjoyed with fig preserve or slices of quince jelly — both made on site.

And it's the good things that Jan Harmsgat focuses on. As one of the first establishments to be accredited as a Fair Trade in Tourism operation, they're dedicated to fair labour practises, community upliftment and generally operating in an ethical way. It's a scheme that is slowly growing across the country, to the stage where the Fair Trade in Tourism initiative was honoured by the Guardian Ethical Travel Award in the UK earlier this year.

And as more travellers seek an ethical and responsible travel experience, you can expect — and hope — that more establishments will follow suit. There's even talk of a Fair Trade route that will link ethical operators across the country.

All too soon we are saying our goodbyes, nervously contemplating the Sunday afternoon rat run back into the city that now feels very, very far away.