Chef PJ Vadas

Former Top 10 chef PJ Vadas has partnered with Spier to open a craft bakery and café at the Stellenbosch estate’s historic farmyard, the Werf, this coming spring. The eatery will be located inside the restored Jonkershuis building (circa 1778) with a custom-built wood-fired oven at its heart, producing freshly baked breads and pastries, and a light menu for breakfast and lunch.

“I love serving up simple, unpretentious dishes – allowing great ingredients to speak for themselves,” says PJ, who has spent time with master baker Markus Farbinger at Île de Païn in Knysna. He has also worked for the likes of Gordon Ramsay in France, London and New York. While PJ was at the helm of The Roundhouse with chef Eric Bulpitt, the restaurant made the Eat Out Top 10 in 2009 and 2011, and he also led Camphors at Vergelegen to the Top 10 in 2013.

Spier has restored the Werf and surrounding historical Cape Dutch buildings and established a biodynamic food garden to supply the 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 Enthoven, 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.”