Discovering the delights

The no-frills Hermanus Country Market offers a taste of country living. Bread and pastries come from a local baker duo in town. The wines celebrate the terroir of the Hemel-en-Aarde valley and the pies are the handiwork of a local couple. By

It’s heralded as the new millionaire’s mecca of South Africa, with a combined worth of more than $26-billion (that’s R416-billion) floating about, thanks to hundreds of rich new residents migrating to this sleepy Cape Whale Coast hollow.

Yet Hermanus isn’t flashy. You won’t find Ferraris hurtling past you on the main road. And there are no self-proclaimed social media influencers posing on the beaches on a random morning. At the rainbow’s end of the Hemel-en-Aarde valley, Hermanus is very much plat op die aarde.

This is most apparent at the Hermanus Country Market on Saturdays. This no-frills market is popular with locals and visitors alike, who are drawn there by the smell of freshly baked pastries, ground coffee beans and the prospect of meeting friends.

The market is very much “country”, complete with wooden-pallet booths set up for the vendors and wood chips on the ground to keep the notorious Cape weather off your boots, as far as possible.

The vendors are local Overbergers who get along like old friends. Those who share booths kuier in between selling and happily trading their commodities. A piece of biltong for a loaf of ciabatta. A packet of pears for some pancakes. A cup of coffee for a warm pastéis de nata.

The communal spirit is tangible and sets the tone for the market as a whole. Understandable, considering the market has been going for 15 years, since 2007. There are more than 90 traders at the town’s cricket club, where the market is held.

The vendors create a type of kraal on the outside, with a seating area and kids’ play area inside. As you step into the market, you’re greeted with fresh seasonal produce. started in February.

At first, paralysed by fear, Yana decided to bake while she waited. She started baking for locals and was soon asked to join the market as a special guest.

Her delightful creations were almost too beautiful to eat … almost. Unreal imitations of real fruit made from all-edibles and crammed with crème pâtissière and fruit compote. And, of course, her now-famous seven-layer cake, inspired by a recipe book from her mother and grandmother.

Although Yana has since returned to Ukraine, she became a much-loved favourite. “The people of Hermanus were so welcoming and friendly to us,” she says. “Everyone is so warm and funny and made me feel at home during this difficult time.”

Brood etc., owned by local bakers and private chefs Susan Thirion and Johan Lamprecht, has loaves that are a Biblical picture of abundance with woven and pleated stoneground selections. You can’t go wrong with