In rural Stellenbosch, Beker en Bord and Basil's Herbs have taken root

Daily Maverick

2 days ago

Flowers, donated treasured items, and a Boxer-mix dog awaits guests past the entrance of the eccentric tea garden. Not far away, a man from humble beginnings tends a fledgling herb business.
In Kylemore village on the Helshoogte pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, Beker en Bord is the entrance to the South African version of Alice in Wonderland. Instead of the White Rabbit, stuffed bears hang from the exposed wooden ceiling in the outdoor garden. Instead of the mischievous Cheshire Cat following you around, the dog struggles to decide which is her favourite companion. And instead of the quirky Mad Hatter, we have a vibrant older woman hosting us who everyone in the village of Kylemore knows as Tannie Siena Charles.
Tannie Siena walks over sporting her African print yellow hair band and a black T-shirt with the name of her brand, and a beker and bord. In the left hand corner, the logo of a communion cup with bread underneath is stitched onto her top. On the right hand side is the logo for CoCreate Hub Stellenbosch.
Tannie, in Afrikaans, means 'aunt'. The term is also used to show respect to an older woman. The tannie, who was born and raised in Kylemore, chose her hometown as her business in the comfort of her backyard, or rather front yard, and she cleans and cooks meals from her kitchen. A glance through the window and you can see the short woman preparing a course for you and other guests. This hidden gem allows locals and tourists to not only have traditional dining, but to meet the beloved woman within the community.
Before enjoying the three-course meal, Tannie Siena gives us a tour of her tea party garden.
Leaves are not the only thing hanging from the trees — a painting, a rag dog, parts of a bicycle, even candle holders adorn the trees, and right in the centre is the sign — Beker en Bord Tee Tuin. In Afrikaans, Beker en Bord translates to 'Cup and Plate' while Tee Tuin means 'Tea Garden'.
'Everything becomes something,' my friend Sue says with a smile. My classmate, Laurenne, takes out her phone and begins to record the treasure chest turned whimsical garden.
'It's treasure,' Laurenne chimes in.
Next to us, on the white tablecloth, eight plates are placed. Synthetic sunflowers bloom from two multicoloured vases. Two cups at the centre hold the flower-shaped yellow napkins. Tea party hats of every colour — black, white, red, beige — with a flower held together with a headband are available for diners to select. We all selected our accessories while Tony, still sporting the cowboy hat he bought the day before, was already dressed appropriately for the occasion.
I sit next to Laurenne and Sue, and Tannie Siena's dog lays in the sun right next to Sue.
Two new friends, Diane and Ilse, join us for lunch. South Africa is starting to feel like a home away from home. Strangers don't remain unfamiliar for long, and everyone is welcome at the table.
Tannie Sienna learned cooking and cleaning from her grandmother. Her grandmother inspired not only her love for exploring ingredients in the kitchen, but for cooking selflessly for others. The kitchen has become her garden where she can flourish as a chef and businesswoman.
In 2003, she started a soup kitchen — her first project.
'Some parents haven't got money to buy some food,' said Tannie Siena.
She started her garden in the comfort of her home, selling and sharing food to local residents before another passion project blossomed. In 2012, she started a Women's Day celebration. The women would be dressed up and would head to Le Pommier — brides, Tannie Siena calls them. The celebrations were joined with dancing and eating, an opportunity for women who have not had a wedding.
In between stories, Tannie Siena brings out courses for us to try. The starter was scones — or roosterkoek — on a plate. The golden brown treats sat perfectly on the raised plate, with a pitcher for the ginger beer drink.
Before that Laurenne, Sue, Tony and I visited Banhoek Chilli Oil for a morning of chilli oil tasting. The lemon and herb was my favourite, the citrus lingered on my tongue before trying the ginger beer. I was now met with a new tingling sensation.
I tried the South African scone for the first time at Aunty Sophie se Kombuis. I waited patiently to relive that experience of trying the baked goods so as not to look greedy. Right next to the roosterkoek was a miniature plate for shredded cheese and another for apricot jam — whichever entices or satisfies your taste buds. When it was my turn to grab a scone, I swiftly picked up the butter knife and applied the gooey orange-coloured jam before sprinkling the shredded cheese on top. A mixture of sweet and savoury.
Around the table, I have become fairly observant. People show different mannerisms while conversing when dining. When the conversation is lighthearted, the cups clank after each sip as Tannie Siena shares her stories with us. The fork clanks against the plates after picking up a helping of rice. But no one dares pick up a utensil as Tannie Siena shares a personal story — in 2007, her daughter passed away in a car accident at the age of 17, alongside her friend. We all sat in silence to digest the difficult topic.
Noticing the silence, Tannie Sienna encourages us all to eat again.
'But we must start,' she says, referring to the main course in the kitchen. The optimistic woman still smiles despite her loss.
The main course arrived — steamed white rice, soft sweet potatoes, beetroot salad, and a mutton stew with tomato sauce, known as tomato bredie. Although I don't eat meat, I took some of the sauce from the meat stew and poured it over my rice. The rice absorbed the sauce instantly.
All portions looked equally delicious so I decided to gather a sample of each onto my small fork before bringing it to my lips. The comfort food combo was sweet, tangy and vinegary. As we continued to eat as per Tannie Siena's instructions, she shared more of the meaning behind Beker en Bord.
'It also means forgiveness or a 'second chance in life',' she said. She gave the donated items to her garden a sense of purpose to create room for new treasures there.
After we finished our main course, we were given a sweet milk tart that Laurenne and I shared after our traditional meal. It's South Africa's famous traditional melktert.
Before we left Tannie Siena's garden, Ilse, a photographer who was snapping photos for the entire meal, said we must take a photo — with our tea party hats still on, of course.
As we walked toward the road for our group photo, a school bus filled with children passed by. When a student shouted 'Tannie Siena', the rest joined in. One student poked his head out of the bus waving a peace sign as the bus continued to travel.
'Everyone calls me Tannie Siena. When I am on the street, the children are running towards me,' said Tannie Siena.
Diners experience not only a hearty meal, but conversations filled with determination, hope and love.
'Everything is here at Beker en Bord, we're smiling, we're dancing, we love one another,' said Tannie Siena.
Another story of humble beginnings
Our afternoon didn't end at Tannie Siena's tea garden. About a 10-minute drive from the residence in Kylemore is another story of humble beginnings in a backyard.
Sue drives over a bumpy road before rolling up to a large lot of land. A man wearing a light beige shirt with dark cargo pants stands before us with black sunglasses resting on his army-green cap. The logo of his agriculture band is on the right hand side, Herbal View. His name is Basil Williams, and he is the founder of Herbal View Hydroponics.
With his partner, Caroline Williams, Basil uses natural ingredients to help customers enhance meals. From the backyard to the growing brand, the quality plant operation has become a business that promotes job creation and addresses food security.
'The most important thing of food security for us is sustainable growth and to supply your local customers, and also we are working with developing communities to mitigate and minimise the food security risks within South Africa,' said Williams.
Fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary are staples for Basil. Dried herbs such as garlic herb and chilli herb are available for customers. Sauces are also represented in Basil's brand from his popular pesto sauce to basil and lime. Infused oils such as chilli oil are also sold. Each label is personalised to represent the ingredients for each product; his lemon and herbs oil show lemon and lime. His braai herbs and spices are perfect to season meat thrown on a flame.
Basil hopes to continue to expand his space to more wholesale distribution companies and retailers such as supermarkets.
The mountains surround the five of us as Basil proudly directs us to the overhead covering in the plot of land to give us a tour of his agricultural playground. He leads us into his greenhouse — the metal frame, growing tunnels, black sheeting, and irrigation piping are underneath the overhead covering.
Through the assistance of the Department of Agriculture and CoCreate Hub Ranyaka, Basil wants to inspire others to enter the market. Herbal View not only offers quality products, but mentorship and training to support local farmers, as well as opportunities for students to learn about agriculture and horticulture.
'We currently have eight hectares of land, and we have community projects. Those community projects supply us with vegetables and herbs. Within Herbal View's new agricultural supply chain model, all of them have a growing market, supplying direct to us, supported by different stakeholders like Ranyaka,' said Basil.
He shared that land ownership is a struggle. In my peripheral vision, I see two men digging with a shovel. Basil wipes his brow and the men shovel harder. While he was talking, I started imagining different plants sprouting from inside the greenhouse. After visiting Tannie Siena and listening to her story of grit and hope, the sun seemed to shine brighter on the already sunny day between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, just a breeze away from the cool False Bay waters.
Having relations with Cornell University and Rutgers University also helps the agriculture expert make international connections to grow as a herb supplier.
With at least 30 years in the agricultural industry and using advanced equipment and tools, Basil was able to expand the herb vision from his parents' backyard to a lot of land in the Stellenbosch region, supplying more than 25 companies in the processing factor.
After our brief tour, Laurenne asked Basil questions about his herb business for her community-centered organisation, Multicultural Innovators Association, to spotlight underrepresented innovators. She listened intently, her entrepreneurial spirit beaming.
From backyard beginnings to blooming businesses, CoCreate Hub — where Laurenne and I were both based at the time — is the hub for hosting local entrepreneurs to uplift communities and support the local economy. Like Tannie Siena and Basil, CoCreate Hub gives individuals an opportunity to pass the cup and plate to pay it forward and encourage other hopeful business-minded individuals like themselves. DM