{"id":29709,"date":"2012-02-09T11:34:25","date_gmt":"2012-02-09T09:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=29709"},"modified":"2012-02-11T09:18:32","modified_gmt":"2012-02-11T07:18:32","slug":"starlings-cafe-champion-of-home-grown-produce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/starlings-cafe-champion-of-home-grown-produce\/","title":{"rendered":"Starlings Caf\u00e9 champion of home-grown and organic produce!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It was via Twitter that I first read about Starlings Caf\u00e9, which had opened more than four years ago, but only became well-known when they started Tweeting about six months ago, co-inciding with their new farmer-style market they host in their garden section on Wednesdays at 16h00 – 18h00.<\/p>\n

Focusing on home-grown produce in the preparation of its food for the small menu, owner Trish Krutz offered her suppliers a small homely space in which they could display their organic and home-grown produce to the Starlings Caf\u00e9 clients, a win-win situation for both the Caf\u00e9\"\"<\/a> in attracting more business, and for the product suppliers, who are part of a market growing in popularity. \u00a0Trish said she likes to stay below the radar, ‘behind the hedge’,<\/em> she said. \u00a0The Caf\u00e9 prepares all its food, only buying croissants from Cassis.<\/p>\n

One sees the Origin coffee branded umbrellas of Starlings Caf\u00e9 only once one steps off the pavement on Belvedere Road, and the interior feels homely, consisting of two interleading rooms and an open-plan kitchen, and then leads onto the terrace outside, which is protected against the weather. \u00a0Tables and chairs are mix and match, and each table has a different colour and pattern tablecloth. \u00a0Walls are covered with sketches, paintings, and prints, giving it a very homely feeling, as if one is visiting a friend’s parents’ house, with vases of roses and rosemary on each table. \u00a0The Willow Creek ceramic extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar containers suit the country-style restaurant, even if it is in the city, with unbranded salt and pepper grinders. \u00a0Paper serviettes have a starling printed onto them. \u00a0The menu is simply printed on white board, with a starling on it too. Its introduction states: “We love supporting local suppliers and using the best quality home grown produce we can find”.<\/em> This is visible as Trish was connecting with her suppliers after the worst market buying rush was over. \"\"<\/a> I tried the mozzarella fior di latte (using Puglia’s mozzarella), tomato and basil pesto salad stack (R45), with amazing wholewheat bread baked by the Caf\u00e9. \u00a0It was a delicious combination, not needing butter or any of the condiments. \u00a0One can also order a tart of the day; Thai chicken curry; Portabellini mushrooms, roasted tomato and artichoke risotto; or a hamburger; ranging from R45 – R65. A choice of salads is offered, including chicken caesar, and roasted vegetables (R55 – R69). \u00a0 Sandwiches with roast vegetable, feta and pesto; bacon, Dalewood brie and homemade tomato chilli jam; and chicken on rye with harissa and date dressing cost R50 – R59. \u00a0 Trish was extremely friendly, but her staff less so.<\/p>\n

On a lower level to the terrace are the tables set up for the market, with nine stands, protected against the heat by trees and more Origin umbrellas. \u00a0Matt Allison is a friend from the Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club, and his colourful table had vegetables on it that he had picked two hours previously. \u00a0He was selling parsley, butter lettuce, carrots, red onions, tomatoes, potatoes, herbs, green peppers, green beans,\u00a0\"\"<\/a>and more. Interesting was the Boutique Garden Honey stand, at which honey from hives set up in Cape Town gardens is sold. \u00a0I was fascinated to see the difference in the colour of the honey coming from Newlands (dark brown, a sign of fynbos, I was told) compared to that from Claremont (being far more golden) gardens. \u00a0The garden honey costs R45, while their spingflower honey from the veld costs R25. \u00a0They also sell interesting sounding honey-flavoured soaps, e.g. Rose geranium, Marigold and lemon, Myrrh and frankencense. \u00a0Pets can be treated with wheat free low fat organic treats, for sale at the market. \u00a0Simply Wholesome supplies restaurants and homes with organic and free range produce on order, with delivery, and evolved from a greater focus by the owners on eating healthily. \u00a0\"\"<\/a>One can buy salted and unsalted farm butter, eggs, ‘free run’<\/em> chicken and eggs, as well as Seville orange marmalade, fig preserve, sundried tomato mustard, and strawberry jam. \u00a0The House of Pasta has a restaurant and take-away service at the bottom end of Long Street, and the owner is Italian. \u00a0His charming wife explained all the pasta types to me, including gluten-free lasagne sheets and fusille, as well as tagliarini, and spinach and butternut pasta. \u00a0The Creamery<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>was selling delicious strawberry and lemon curd ice cream flavours. \u00a0Richard Bosman’s charcuterie products were for sale, with a new smoked bacon. \u00a0Julie Carter from Ocean Jewels Fresh Fish had a table. \u00a0 \u00a0Afrikara Co-op is from Wolseley, and sells organic biodynamic natural yoghurt, cream, and feta cheese (labneh too usually, but not yesterday), as well as aubergines, and whatever fruit and vegetables they produce.<\/p>\n

Attending the market yesterday allowed me to meet Karen Welter for the first time, who does the Tweeting for Starlings Caf\u00e9, and her late\u00a0parents-in-law were friends of my parents many years ago. Karen is busy with a dissertation on ‘Sustainable Restaurants’<\/em> at the Sustainability Institute, which is part of the University of Stellenbosch. \u00a0She is focusing on key issues for restaurants in terms of how they can operate their businesses in a more sustainable manner in terms of their energy usage, communication, sourcing products, best practice, and collaboration with others.<\/p>\n

It was a very special experience at Starling’s Caf\u00e9, with friendly collaboration amongst the market stallholders evident, and friends clearly meeting there regularly. \u00a0It felt like a mini-bazaar, for a special set of persons lucky to live close by to Starlings Caf\u00e9 to allow them to visit regularly. \u00a0\u00a0It has none of the crowdedness that one experiences at the Slow Food Market at Oude Libertas or at the Old Biscuit Mill.<\/p>\n

Starlings Caf\u00e9,<\/strong> 94 Belvedere Road, Claremont. \u00a0Tel (021) 671-6875. \u00a0Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/span> Twitter:@StarlingsCafe. \u00a0Monday – Friday 7h30 – 17h00, Saturday 8h00 – 16h00, Sunday 8h00 – 12h00. \u00a0Market on Wednesday 16h00 – 18h00<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com<\/a> Twitter:@WhaleCottage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was via Twitter that I first read about Starlings Caf\u00e9, which had opened more than four years ago, but only became well-known when they started Tweeting about six months ago, co-inciding with their new farmer-style market they host in their garden section on Wednesdays at 16h00 – 18h00. Focusing on home-grown produce in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[3,124,266,20,21],"tags":[14803,14799,32366,4441,32378,7105,269,14797,4571,13017,14801,14804,12357,1166,14802,5954,8439,2018,9527,13,14800,12815,12230,14442,14798,1587,32373],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t