Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA)
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South
African Country Life 2004
Treasure
of the
Overberg
Text by
Sean Zintl
Pictures by Hans van der Veen,
Main Picture by Clive Rainsbury, all courtesy of
Jan Harmsgat Guesthouse
On their farm, 'Jan Harmsgat',
Brin and Judi Rebstein
are quietly starting a revolution
in the tourism industry,
and doing it with elegance and style. |
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The
saltwater pool is just the place to laze away the day,
surrounded by
splendid scenery and attentive service
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The
scullery provides an informal corner to sit and discuss
the day's menu
with the kitchen staff.
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Just
outside Swellendam lies an historic farm which today
belongs to a couple who are rewriting history in their
own quiet way. What they are doing has broad implications
for the way South Africa develops its growing tourism
potential and alleviates poverty through community development
projects.
The farm, Jan Harmsgat, is located about 24km outside
the town. Established in 1723, it was originally registered
as Jan Harmanzs Schat (Jan Harman's Treasure), but over
the centuries the name has been corrupted to today's
form. Several years ago, successful businessman, Brin
Rebstein decided to swap the fast lane for country lanes.
Searching about for a likely place to settle, he and
his wife, Judi, saw an ad for a dairy farm in the Swellendam
area. Further investigation revealed that the farm had
belonged to Judi's family several generations earlier.
''Well, that settled that,' says Judi. 'We just knew
we had to have it.'
Since taking over the farm, Brin and Judi have Lavished
it with love and care, restoring the dairy operation
and planting new fruit and nut orchards. But the focus
of their attention was to convert the ramshackle wine
cellar and delapidated labourer's quarters into a charming
and inviting guesthouse.
Part of the transformation process has resulted in an
extensive training programme to equip staff drawn from
the local community with the skills and knowledge to
run a first-class guesthouse. Earlier this year Judi
and Brin were honoured with a mayoral award for their
efforts to empower and uplift previously disadvantaged
communities.
Jan Harmsgat's keynote is understated elegance, and
Brin and Judi have worked Magic to ensure that every
aspect of the farm is in keeping with this style. The
old labourer's quarters now house four stylishly appointed
guest rooms, with the reception, kitchen, dining room,
and lounge found in the main building.
Carefully chosen pieces of furniture contribute to a
sense of refined simplicity. In the lounge, high picture
windows frame a pecan nut orchard and the towering peaks
of the Langeberg Mountains that rise up spectacularly
behind it.
Right top:The same groomed
elegance of the interior of the house is carried through
to the gardens and the pool area
Right middle:The
reading corner of the downstairs bedroom optimises the
elegance to be found at Jan Harmsgat.
Right
bottom :All the bedrooms
have been furnished with an eclectic array of antiques
that contribute to the distinctive character of the
guesthouse.
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Jan
Harmsgat atmospheric surroundings contribute to the air of tranquillity
which pervades the guesthouse.
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same attention to detail is evident when you step outside :
gravel walkaways flanked by high banks of lavender guide you
from the main house to the guest rooms; a vine-covered archway
dramatically sets off the view of a long, rectangular swimming
pool. In spring the air is filled with the sweet sent of flowering
quinces, plums, clementines, pomegranates planted in profusion
around the guesthouse. Brin and Judi greet guests before dinner,
inviting them into the cozy fire-lit lounge where they can sink
into sumptuous sofas and sample some of Brin's fine wine selection.
Brin has an extensive knowledge of wines and over the years
has made friends with many of the wine producers in the area.
He stocks a widely representative cellar of about 3000 bottles
of local and imported wines, and his well-considered suggestions
unfailingly round off the wonderful meals that issue from the
kitchen.
His informed opinions and unassuming manner make
him a most congenial host. When he took over Jan Harmsgat, Brin
also revived the dairy farm, which now produces the first-class
cheeses that are served after dinner and at breakfast. From
classic Leiden to mature Cheddars and Boeren Kaas, the cheese
are complemented by a wonderful array of homemade preserves.
But what really sets Jan Harmsgat apart are the gourmet meals
that emerge from the double doors leading to the kitchen. However,
the high standard of food and service has not been easy to accomplish.
Judi recalls that when she and Brin first started thinking of
opening a guesthouse, they knew it was going to be difficult
to find well-trained staff, but they were committed to employing
people from the local communities.
''When we first arrived here, we made a conscious
decision to train staff from the local community of farm workers,
'' she says.
''We started with the basics and worked our way up.''
Judi's first training programme was quite modest.
She asked a neighbouring tannie to come over and show the staff
how to make relishes and preserves, ''But I soon realised that
we could do more- much more.''
Judi subsequently contacted well-known chefs,
such as Topsi Venter, to come in and provide formal training
for several days at a time. ''The guest chef would devise a
menu and the staff would practise untill they had perfected
it, then we would move onto something new,'' says Judi. ''The
response from our staff was overwhelming.
''The
women developed such confidence - their attitude to work changed
completely. Now they tell me what to do,'' she laughs. Star
of the kitchen is Lena Vergotine, who taught herself to read
by memorising Judi's menus and then matching the words to the
sounds she had remembered. Lena now heads up the five Kitchen
Staff and is supervising a visiting student who is training
for her chef's accreditation from a private college.
Jan
Harmsgat is now in its third year of operation, and is attracting
an international clientele - some of them repeat visitors.
Local visitors also frequently book for dinner.
Judi believes the secret to the success of Jan
Harmsgat lies in always trying to improve on the quality of
service and presentation, ''We always get good feedback from
our visitors, but I believe we can always improve. The visitors
we are trying to attract are used to first-rate service in hotels
and restaurants in Europe and the US. We have to be able to
compete.'' Compete they have, and in Noveber last year South
Africa took notice of their excellence when Jan Harmsgat Country
House was awarded a prestigious Emerging Tourism Entrepeneur
award.
Brin and Judi's vision has wider significance
for the country as a whole. They have shown that it is possible
to develop the potential for tourism more fully, and at the
same time use this to drive community upliftment projects. ''Training
is the key,'' says Judi. ''Training is empowering.''
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Romantic rooms
My visit to Jan Harmsgat was fortuitously timed as the surrounding orchards of plum, orange and lime trees were in full blossom; their fragrant scent and delicate petals wafting in the breeze. My loft bedroom, complete with thatched eaves, open-plan Victorian bathroom and a shuttered window looking onto the orchards, was devastatingly romantic. The close proximity of the R60 is a travesty as the traffic noise, so incongruous with Jan Harmsgat's idyllic setting, was audible from my room. I derive childlike pleasure from tea and coffee trays (always a Truffle Pig's first point of inspection) proffering quality products and nibbly bits - in this case delicious homemade rusks. Full marks for the jug of fresh milk available at all times in the drinks fridge in each guest barn.
Your hosts
That evening I crunched my way along the pebbled pathway that leads through floral archways and fruit orchards, past a natural swimming pool, to the grand old reception and dining house. Guests gather in the lounge for pre-dinner drinks and snacks, where socially adept hosts Brin and Judi Rebstein find points of parity between their guests, who are soon chatting away merrily. Brin loves wine and has an impressive stash in the downstairs cellar. He devotes time to assisting each guest with their choice of wines throughout the meal. Social upliftment lies close to this benevolent couple's heart. Judi's staff were all drawn from the local community, provided with the skills necessary to run a first-class guesthouse, and more importantly- mentored and encouraged along the way. Lena, who was illiterate when she joined Judi in the kitchen fifteen-years ago, now heads up the kitchen, is an avid Prue Leith fan and has guests begging for recipes and advice.
Elegant dinners
In addition to being a proficient sommelier, Brin is well-versed on classical music - a fitting choice for the elegant dining room, where the tables are decked with white linen and silver, and a casual jug of nasturtiums adds a vivid splash of colour. I witnessed careful consideration being taken over guests' extraordinary dietary requirements, and it would seem that nothing is too much of an effort. The generous starter consisted of a Mediterranean stack of tomato, aubergine and pesto; a salad with lots of fresh greens and herbs; and springbok carpaccio. Lena's duck with green peppercorn sauce and dauphinoise potatoes was really delicious and a firm favourite of Jan Harmsgat's regular visitors. A light yoghurt terrine with fresh strawberries preceded the smorgasboard of sublime cheeses, many of which are made solely for serving in the restaurant, at the Jan Harmsgat dairy. Accompanying the cheeses were a wonderful array of proper homemade preserves, among them green figs in Port and Lena's famous citron.
Prolific fig trees and the Jan Harmsgat dairy provide the finest ingredients for their Green Fig and Camembert Tart. If you can lay your hands on some fresh figs, try making this decadent tart at home, perhaps serving it with a cold glass of Viognier…view recipe.
Jan Harmsgat attractions:
Hospitality
Food and wine
Accommodation and setting
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