Spier Partners With Celebrated Chef Pj Vadas
Spier is partnering with celebrated chef PJ Vadas to bring a craft bakery and café to the farm’s historic farmyard, the Werf, in spring this year. It will be housed inside the restored Jonkershuis building (circa 1778) with a custom-built wood-fired oven at its heart. The bakery will offer freshly baked breads and pastries as well as a light menu, and will be open for breakfast and lunch.
“I love serving up simple, unpretentious dishes – allowing great ingredients to speak for themselves,” says Vadas, whose passion for baking was ignited through the time he spent with Markus Färbinger at the legendary Ile de Pain restaurant and bakery in Knysna. He has also worked in France, London and New York for the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Roger Verge. Back home, while working at The Roundhouse, the restaurant was listed in the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurants twice.
Over the course of the last year, Spier has been meticulously restoring the Werf and surrounding historical Cape Dutch buildings. They have also established an organic food garden, which supplies restaurants on the farm.
“When we met PJ we quickly realised that we share a belief in the importance of ethically sourcing great quality ingredients,” says Mariota, family owner of Spier farm. “This collaboration is helping to fulfill our dream that the Werf – historically the bustling heart of the farm – is once more a hub of artisanal activity.”