Recently, we sat down with our Goathsed Chef SJ Nel, the inventor of our beloved pies, to find out more about his love for food:

Tell us a bit about your background?
I have Northern Cape roots and was fortunate to gain experience in British, Swedish and a few South African kitchens.

What is your favourite dish to eat?
Cooking all day does not create cravings for anything fancy. A simple freshly baked roll with sausage, coleslaw, mustard and a beer is what I love. I guess that’s why I particularly love making a good pie too!

What is your favourite dish to make?
I am guilty of crowd pleasing and therefore our most popular dish at The Goatshed Restaurant is Braised Fairview Lamb.

What are the most interesting things happening in food right now?
Real top notch ingredients, being prepared simply, served informally, with amazing attitudes, leaving small footprints.

What is your food philosophy?
Getting your hands dirty to bring together flavourful ingredients, from sustainable sources, taking care of the environment while helping people.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Dry aged T-bone steak with a generous piece of fat, matured cheeses and red wine.

Most bizarre thing in your fridge right now?
My wife, Lisa, is keeping me healthy with a variety of nutritious smoothies so I will have to say some of those ingredients – like coconut water, cocoa nibs and organic granadilla pulp.

What is your favourite food memory?
“Potjiekos” with my father, mastermind snack platters with my mother, traditional “padkos” roadtripping with my three sisters and mushroom risotto for my one and only Lisa.

Two flavours that shouldn’t go together but do?
Goats’ milk and caramel.

Advice you wish you were given as a young chef?
Listen to all your mentors, good and bad, you will definitely learn something.

The post Goatshed’s Favourites | Interview with Chef SJ Nel appeared first on Fairview.

This July, Fairview has teamed up with our long-time friend and favoured food blogger and chef, Nina Timm from My Easy Cooking, to bring our Fairview visitors two different cooking demos. Expect to enjoy delicious snacks and learn easy and fun recipes using Fairview’s homegrown ingredients. The concept of these events is for everyone – whether you don’t know how to boil an egg or can make a soufflé from scratch – with the main goal being to learn the value in using farm fresh, farm to fork ingredients and how to incorporate Fairview’s range of artisanal products into your everyday cooking. Check out the information below, and make sure to book your tickets!

EVENT 1:
7th July: Saturday morning Cheese Demo in our Fairview Deli

This demo is for any and all visitors to the Fairview Tasting Room!
There will be 2 sessions: 10am and 11.15pm, each 1 hour long.
4-6 recipes will be covered during each session

Recipes will include:

Mini Cheese fondues with tempura broccoli
Sushi stacks
Camembert poppers with tomato chilli jam
Greek salad with crumbed feta
Free range Boerewors
Fresh bread, olive oil and butter

Cost: Free! 
Limited Spacing: Just come early to secure a spot 

EVENT 2:
14th July: Cooking with Fairview & Nina Timm
Food demo followed by lunch at the Goatshed Restaurant 

Fairview and Nina Timm invite you to come join us in an exclusive, limited seating session aimed at showcasing various recipes using Fairview cheese, followed by a delicious Goatshed light-style harvest lunch that incorporates our freshest, wholesome ingredients. Guests will start at 11am in the Cheese Deli to learn from Nina as she creates her delicious, cheese-full creations and pairs them with our finest Fairview wines, before moving through to the Goatshed at 12pm, where tapas-style fare will be served alongside Fairview wine. This event is ideal for any foodie who is craving an informative and fun session, delicious food and wants to walk away with an inventory of ideas to make at home!

Kindly note: If you are interested in attending this event, please book tickets below. Space is limited.

Recipes will include:

Food Demonstration Menu – 11am

Tomato Tarte Tatin with goats cheese
Free range roast pork belly
Lemon posset with berry could and shortbread biscuits

Lunch Menu ( family style sharing plates ) – 12pm
Roast pork belly
Lamb shank pie
Free range Boerewors
Greek Salad
Green beans with Cheese Crumbs
Roasted vegetables with lemon, olive oil and garlic
Fresh bread

Dessert
Lemon posset with berry compote and shortbread biscuits.

Cost: R195 per person including the food demo and lunch
Limited Seating: Only twenty 20 tickets available
Tickets available via Quicket.

We look forward to seeing you there! Until then, For now, have a look at some of the tasty meals that Nina Timm has concocted using Fairview’s cheeses or check out her website here for more information:

Introducing Nina Timm

Easy Cheese Fondue with Tempura Broccoli

Spicy Lamb Goats cheese Pizza with fresh figs

Spinach Soup with Tempura Cheese

The post Cooking with Fairview & Nina Timm appeared first on Fairview.

In 2015, we released our now very popular Bloemcool range, which has been a best-seller via our Master Tasting Room and Wine Club ever since.

The concept of Bloemcool is relatively simple: Charles and the winemaking team wanted to introduce a new avenue to bottle smaller quantities of exceptional varieties and blends that would otherwise get ‘lost’ i.e. blended away into alternative ranges. The name Bloemcool was selected to honour the Fairview farm’s original name, Bloemkoolfontein, with Charles, in his typical fashion, updating the name from ‘kool’ to ‘cool’.

Yet perhaps what has been received just as well as the wine itself has been the packaging. And that is not that surprising, because Charles and the team put a lot of thought into this concept from the start.

“I wanted to ensure we make something that reflects the integrity of the brand, and encourages wine to become part of a more holistic approach to life. It is not just a glass of wine – one must put consideration into who made this wine, and what will happen to the components that make up the wine well after the bottle is finished.”

It is this sort of thinking that led to the creation of the award-winning Bloemcool labels, which have been embedded with cauliflower seeds. Why? Firstly, ‘Bloemkoolfontein’ means ‘cauliflower fountain’ in Afrikaans, and so the cauliflower seeds are a reference to the farm’s heritage. Secondly, the vision is to remove the label once you’ve finished enjoying your favourite bottle of Bloemcool, place it onto some moist cottonwool on a sunny, well-ventilated windowpane, and watch some natural magic happen. Over a few weeks, some of the sprouts in the label should bud, leaving you with the opportunity to harvest your very own ‘bloemcool’!

From the start, our labels have been designed by the cool folks at Growing Paper, located near Malmesbury. When we approached owners Roxanne and Nileta, they were very excited to make our concept come to life, and we have been collaborating ever since. The Bloemcool range won a Silver Award in the 2018 Wine Label Design Awards.

Here are some snapshots from the Bloemcool paper making process at the Growing Paper headquarters:

The post A Bloomin’ Cool Label | Bloemcool appeared first on Fairview.

Introducing Back’s Blend 2014!

Charles explains: “This red wine is a reflection of my winemaking philosophy. As you might know, I started wine-making in 1978, and have been fortunate enough to be able to travel through the Cape Winelands discovering new sites and unique blocks of vineyard. I have also been instrumental in bringing Mediterranean varieties to our shores, all of which has led to the creation of exciting and interesting wines. In the past much of this work has never reached the market.

I have now decided to bottle a range of these unique wines to share with you. Bear in mind, however, that due to their exploratory nature, these wines can change from vintage to vintage and this may be the last bottle of its kind. The first of my Back’s Blend private range is a blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Tannat.

I’ve crafted this wine to thank my loyal club members and Fairview fans. Due to its limited quantities, Back’s Blend will be released to the Wine Club first, with a permanent allocation on reserve. Should there be any left, we will then open Back’s Blend up to our greater Fairview family.”

Charles Back | Back’s Blend 2014

Back’s Blend is crafted from Tannat, Merlot and Shiraz. It has a deep red colour with ripe plums, hints of black pepper and lavender on the nose. The palate shows fresh raspberries with well integrated tannins and a savoury finish.
Price: R100
Available online only.
Click here to purchase

The post Introducing Back’s Blend | A Fairview Exclusive appeared first on Fairview.

As the cold winter days arrive in full force, there is one bright silver lining for most school children – the winter term break! While drinking hot chocolate and cosying up under blankets watching family favourite movies definitely sounds tempting, we also know that it might lead to some cabin fever after a few days!

That’s why Fairview invites you to bring the whole family to the Fairview farm on Sundays during the school holiday! Once again, we’ve enlisted the talents of Fern from Art4Kids who will be offering kids art activities in the afternoons at the Gallery Studio (just behind the Beryl Back Master Tasting Room).

Starting from this Sunday 17th June (just in time for Father’s Day) and every Sunday during the school holidays, we invite children to take part in a ceramics art afternoon event. Spend the day ceramic painting a unique art piece!

The post Winter Holidays | Kids Art Classes at Fairview! appeared first on Fairview.

Jessica is the current Secretary of the Fairview Fairtrade Premium Committee (the “FPC”), which is the elected body responsible for managing the Fairtrade Premium on behalf of the Fairtrade beneficiaries (the vineyard and cellar team). She visited Kenya for 6 days, receiving a tour of some of the Fairtrade initiatives such as coffee bean plantations in between attending the busy conference.

The conference was the sixth edition of the Africa Fairtrade Convention (AFC). This is the flagship Fairtrade event held with the objective of discussing how partnerships on Fairtrade contribute toward the Sustainable Development Goals and improve the livelihoods of farmers and workers in Africa and the Middle East.

It is thanks to people like Jessica and the Fairtrade Premium committee that Fairview is proud to also announce that we have officially completed the 2017 Fairtrade audit and received confirmation that Fairview’s Fairtrade certification remains in good standing. Here’s to the team!

Here are some snaps from Jessica’s trip (including visiting the coffee bean plantations):

The post Fairview & Fairtrade Takes You Places! | Jessica Hector appeared first on Fairview.

In 2015, I met Diane de Villiers – a super smart and successful businesswoman with as much drive and passion for her business, that she reminded me of me! Her business – Daily Dish – was ingenious, offering delicious pre-packaged dinner boxes delivered straight to your door. After learning about her pioneering initiative that started in 2013, I knew I wanted to get involved and partner with her and her incredible team – and so that’s exactly what I did!

The reason I did this is because Daily Dish’s offering, just like Fairview, is centred around bringing you only the highest quality, fresh, seasonal, local, and sustainably produced food. If you’re a working mother or convenience junkie looking to find an easy way to put delicious, freshly prepared food on your table every day but simply don’t have the time to head to the grocery shops – then Daily Dish has you covered.

I’ve watched from the sidelines as Daily Dish has risen to success year-on-year, gathering a committed following of regular ‘subscribers’ that love having an answer to the sometimes dreaded question of ‘what’s for dinner?’ every night.

Diane and her team have become experts at selecting suitable recipes from their inventory of 3,500 dishes, matching and pairing them to your weekly box and ensuring that the fresh and dry produce are delivered straight to your door or office in a nifty, refrigerated box that keeps your food cold for up to 24 hours (I’ve tested it – it works!). Another reason I am proud to be collaborating with the Daily Dish team is that they endeavour to continually innovate and accommodate. For example, one can select from 6 different dinner box options depending on your dietary requirements. This includes everything from a Classic Box, to Family, Banting, Vegan, Goodie and Pork-Free Box (ideal for me!).

As Fairview works our way towards being more sustainable, we are able to offer the Daily Dish subscribers our wide variety of artisanal cheeses, olive oil, breads and deli products. Some of Fairview’s experimental wines which are not widely available to the general public will also occasionally be included in the boxes. In the coming months, we will be working with Diane and her team more closely. I recommend you head to their website – www.dailydish.co.za – and sign up to their newsletters to look out for some exciting specials, and naturally, keep up to date with our extended family.

For now – we look forward to helping you share amazing home-cooked dishes with people you care about.

– Charles Back

VISIT DISH DISH: www.dailydish.co.za

The post Our Friends at Daily Dish appeared first on Fairview.

At Fairview, we have a shared passion for ethical and authentic produce, prepared with love. To produce fantastic produce – whether it is our wine, cheese, vegetables or meat, it all starts with sustainable and holistic farm practices. Over the years,  our team has been implementing better practices to ensure we can always yield the best results. Here are just some of the ways we have been doing this:

HEALTHY SOIL:

We believe healthy plants begin with healthy soil. Healthy plants mean less pests and disease. In and amongst various techniques we are currently using to keep our soil in the best of health such as crop rotation, mulching and  composting, we have also started planting Lupins, a flowering plant, in the weaker soils. Lupins are wonderful as they fix nitrogen in the soil from the atmosphere, thus acting like a natural fertiliser. We will dig up these plants next year and replace them with proper crops.

GROWING OUR OWN WHEAT:

We’re growing our own wheat! We have planted 250 hectares of wheat, as we have a 100 ton per year requirement to make our own bread.

FEED FOR OUR ANIMALS:

Over the years, we have planted 120 hectares of feed for our animals. Fairview is home to five key types of livestock – poultry, pigs and beef cattle, goats and sheep. They serve to supply the restaurant, produce milk for our cheese and produce store under our ‘farm to table’ model, as well as help to maintain and improve the health of our soil. Healthy soil means healthy plants, which in turn means better quality produce. Our animals are free to roam as much as possible, fed a natural, varied diet and treated with compassion and respect by our farmers. We welcome you to watch our animals, but please do not touch.

GOATSHED RESTAURANT 

Sourcing from the surrounding fields and pasture, as well as other local farms, the Goatshed Restaurants highlights the abundance of our Paarl-based farm and valley. Every week, our chefs team brainstorm and curate a weekly special so that all our guests are offered a multi-taste feast featuring the best offerings from the field. As of late, we’ve also introduced a Wine on Tap concept to our restaurant, meaning the wine comes straight from the cellar and is available on ‘draught’. There are various benefits about wine on tap, with one of the key factors being that it is more environmentally friendly. The Goatshed’s ‘no-fuss’ way of dining and commitment to buying locally farmed produce makes us proud to be seen as frontrunners in conscious consumption and a hit with visitors who are recognising the love of real food.

The post Sustainable Growth | Fairview’s Efforts towards a Holistic Farm appeared first on Fairview.

Vineyard Consistency Award: 2nd Place Overall (following last year’s 1st place) 

Top 100 & Double Platinum awards
Three Double Platinum/Top 100 winning wines, including: 

Fairview Nurok 2016
Fairview Beacon Shiraz 2014
Fairview La Beryl Blanc 2017

Grand Cru National Champion Best in Class
A Grand Cru First Place in category win

Fairview Nurok 2016

Double Gold awards

Six Double Gold Awards, including:

Fairview Paarl Chenin Blanc 2017
Fairview Rose Quartz 2017
Fairview Caldera 2016
Fairview Homtini 2015
Fairview Extrano 2015
Fairview Viognier 2016

Charles and the team were thrilled with the news, with Charles sharing his thoughts on the Top 100 winning wines below: 

“Much like last year, our three Top 100 winning wines are all so different – which reflects the talent I believe our winemaking team has, as they are capable of traversing various varieties and winemaking styles to produce consistently refined and award-winning wines.

With the drought on the tip of everyone’s tongue, I am grateful that our team has prepared accordingly and that our vineyards continue to yield fruit of excellent quality, giving the wines richer depth and character.  

As far as the Top 100 wines go, Nurok is from one of our more vibrant and most food-friendly ranges, the Regional Revival Range, which highlights the value of using Mediterranean style varieties.

Our Fairview Beacon Shiraz is a favourite from our Single Vineyard range, and I have a hunch that it’s striking new, award-winning label must have added an extra bonus point for its shining performance this year!

Finally, our La Beryl Blanc, a traditional straw-dried sweet wine made since 1998, has been a consistent accolade winner for years. Named after my mother, Beryl, I think this wine reflects her warm and nurturing character, and clearly hits a sweet spot with its dedicated following.”

Overall, the Fairview winemaking team is delighted with our wins, as they span the gamut of our winemaking capabilities. We are particularly humbled by the recognition for our Vineyard Consistency Award for a second year running. Over the decades, the goal has not only been to refine our craft, but to be able to continue on that deliverable year on year, as after all, consistency is only the starting point! 

Cheers to our vineyard, cellar and winemaking team – you are clearly all doing something right!

The post Consistently On Top | Our Top 100 Wins! appeared first on Fairview.

We know that not everyone is a wine lover. But surely everyone is a cheese lover? This autumn, we’re digging into our dessert cheese range, namely our White Rock with Dried Cranberries, White Rock with Glazed Fig, White Rock with Pear and Caramel and White Rock with Mango and Ginger.

While the White Rock Dried Cranberries and Glazed Fig flavours have been available for years, we only released our Pear and Caramel and Mango and Ginger flavours two years ago – to a rocking success! So far, we’re received feedback that the cheeses taste like cheesecake (never a bad thing in our books), and are delicious served with cheeseboards, crumbed over fresh summer salads or even as dessert.

Our White Rock cheese is a full fat semi-soft cheese, made using cow’s milk. The concept behind the cheese was to complement our Blue Rock range, which is a more Roquefort-style cheese with a rich flavour and a firm yet creamy texture. Since inception, our White Rocks have been best-sellers in our busy Tasting Room, even occasionally used in our Wedding Cheese Cakes. Read more about that here.

But don’t worry, you don’t need to be planning a wedding or big event to indulge in our White Rock. Recently we dug into our archives and found this delicious Nina Timm recipe for a Fig and Cheese Tart – we highly recommend trying it. Click here to view the recipe. And remember: Our White Rock cheeses are available nationwide in selected retail stores.

View the range:

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