Van der Stel’s facelift
STELLENBOSCH residents recently gave a mighty cheer as they welcomed a new face to their neighbourhood – the home of the oldest liquor store in South Africa.
Checkers LiquorShop opened its doors to the public at the 127-year-old liquor store in Andringa Street last week.
The famous liquor store was previously known as Van der Stel Bottle Store.
Stellenbosch Municipality spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar said the store had operated since 1891.
“The 127-year-old store first started trading in 1891 as Van Backström Wine Merchant. The building was declared a provincial heritage site in 1986.
‘‘The Checkers group undertook to conserve the historical features of the building according to the conditions laid down by Heritage Western Cape,” Grobbelaar said.
He said all renovations and restoration of the building took place in consultation with the body.
“The reopening of this renowned store has been widely welcomed by our community,” Grobbelaar said.
The building and the original Van Backström Wine Merchant business was sold to Daniel Ferdinand Bosman and George Trigance Powis, who traded as Bosman, Powis and Comp before it became known as the Van der Stel Bottle Store.
Shoprite said in a statement that it was committed to conserving the heritage status of the beloved Stellenbosch landmark.
“Checkers LiquorShop is proud to own the oldest liquor store in South Africa.
“Checkers aims to have a LiquorShop conveniently located near all its supermarkets, and the Van der Stel Bottle Store’s location is in very close proximity to Checkers Eikestad Mall,” the statement said.
“Customers can look forward to exclusive offers and a wide selection of liquor at supermarket prices – including local and international wines, as well as the finest local and international whiskies,” it said.
The Checkers Liquorshop Van der Stel’s product range will include local and international wines, a wide selection of commercial as well as craft beers, ready-to-drink cocktails, a selection of the finest local and international whiskies, and more.
The store’s trading hours are from 9am to 7pm from Mondays to Fridays, from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays, and it will operate from 9am to 2pm on Sundays.