Treats selling like hot cakes

Lutho Pasiya has found the perfect winter comfort food – the gourmet vetkoek

WINTER is all about comfort food – rich soups, bread, pastries and copious amounts of hot beverages.

Of course, this makes it difficult to come out with a swimwear-ready body in spring, but sometimes you get a meal so delicious and rich that you can’t help yourself.

Vetkoek has always been a perfect winter fast food. Few things beat the smell of one freshly made. I satisfy my cold-weather cravings with amagwinya (as vetkoek are called in Zulu). Although not healthy because of the fat and carbs, I still believe vetkoek is the quickest way to satisfy one’s hunger.

I have my vetkoek freshly made and stuffed with French polony – the most popular style in the townships.

But the best combination has always been vetkoek and mince.

It’s the vetkoek’s potential to be a more sophisticated meal that led Mavezi’s Corner Café to create gourmet amagwinya.

Situated in the hub of the Durban CBD in John Milner Road, Mavezi’s Corner Café is the new fast food spot behind the gourmet amagwinya.

It has a secret recipe specially made for Durban people and beyond.

This is a family business and concept co-owned by Muziwendoda Mchunu, Lungile Mchunu, Thandi Dlamini and Ndumiso Mncwabe.

The four are a dynamic group with business know-how, passionate minds and a shared love of food.

Mchunu said her brother, Muziwendoda, came up with the concept for the café. “Mavezi is our mother, so my brother thought of using her name as she is passionate about cooking. The purpose of making gourmet vetkoek is to make it more of a high street food, just like the hamburger. “We wanted an Africanised takeaway to bring the vetkoek into the 21st century where our African foods are not thought of only as home-cooked meals, but also as street food. “People must be proud of their food,” she said. She added the vetkoek should not be something you only got in the township but everywhere, at a high standard. With its appetising vetkoek, Mavezi’s Corner Café sees customers from all walks of life. People also host their stokvel gatherings and business meetings at the restaurant.

“Our concept is all about making sure that you don’t get the vetkoek anywhere else.

“Everyone wants to try a vetkoek in an establishment like Mavezi’s Corner Café because it’s not something people are used to.

“Our vetkoek is different from the run of the mill.”

She said the presentation, taste and how the vetkoek was made were different – it does not lose shape after it has been cooked and is not starchy.

“The feedback we have received so far has been amazing.

“People love the gourmet amagwinya.

“We are fortunate to have opened the restaurant in the CBD and not in the township because the city is a melting pot of people and that is exactly the market we want to capture.

“People who are unable to go to the township and buy a vetkoek must be able to get hold of the product in town because not all of us stay in townships and have access to tasty vetkoek,” said Mchunu.

Having opened three months ago, Mavezi’s Corner Café serves seven different kinds of gourmet amagwinya: gwinya, Russian and chips; gwinya, mince and chips; gwinya, chicken strips and chips; gwinya, chakalaka and chips; makhanda khanda-gwinya with egg, Frankfurter chips and mince; sunrise gwinya with egg and bacon; burger gwinya with beef burger patty, cheese slice and onions.

The vetkoek are also paired with wings, burgers or tripe, an interesting twist.

Prices range between R30 and R45.

The way Mavezi’s Corner Café presents their vetkoek is unique and the secret recipe of the vetkoek itself is really good.

Mavezi helps empower its employees to improve their cooking skills and confidence so they will be able to run their own kitchens in the future.

The restaurant is open weekdays from 7.30am to 5pm and on weekends the team takes part in market events where the founders focus on taking their vetkoek even further out to people.