THE RESTAURANT

Nice cheeses, but a service delivery issue spoiled André and Bryan van Niekerk’s lunch Fairview Cheese and Wine Farm, Suid Agter Paarl Road, Paarl, 021 863 3609, www.goatshed.co.za

T wenty years since the advent of democracy, South Africans are eating almost twice the amount of cheese as under apartheid — current annual consumption is almost 2kg per person per year. That there is a connection between cheese and maturing democracy is demonstrated by the fact that the French — their democracy is some 325 years old — reportedly eat 25kg of the stuff each every year. While stock standard cheddar and gouda still make up about 70% of South African production, in more recent years a group of artisanal cheese-makers has emerged, producing all manner and size of handcrafted cheeses.

So where to other than Fairview, producers and purveyors of a range of cow and goat cheeses for some 30 years and still leading the pack in terms of variety and volume.

The Goatshed is situated on the estate and offers a cheese platter as part of its menu, specifically for comparative tasting. The Goatshed is geared for casual day-time dining, with a bistro-type menu.

The setting couldn’t have been more beautiful — the vines showing off their autumn colours, enough midday sun to sit out on the wide patio, and an ambience that suggests that one should ideally be in for the long haul. The flies from the iconic goat tower are a nuisance, but a small price to pay for the privilege of proximity to such obviously contented goats.

We opted for the cheese platter, a choice of 10 cheeses (from a selection of 18) for two at R85, a plate of charcuterie (R64) and a glass each of the farm’s very drinkable viognier (R28). At the same time, we ordered a main course each, from a menu that included a special of springbok shanks and mash (R125), chicken and mushroom pie (R86), lamb neck (R130), duck liver pâté (R78) and a variety of salads.

The cheese arrived quickly, attractively presented, with a basket of sliced sourdough bread baked on the premises. Favourites included those not ordinarily encountered at the usual retail outlets — the Marijke (a young, mild gouda-style cheese), and De Leeuwen (an aged cheese with rich, earthy notes). The crottin (100% goat’s milk) and Blue Rock (a Roquefort-style cheese) were more familiar but no less favoured. The plate of charcuterie included slices of a Parma-style ham, pastrami, coppa and salami, all very good.

The cheese tasting was fun, and clearly the main activity at a number of other tables. The cheese and charcuterie platters were cleared efficiently enough, and we waited for our mains. We wish that we could tell you about them, and the desserts that may have been. But no main course was forthcoming and our patience began to wear a little thin. We made inquiries from the waitress who had taken our order, only to be met with a shrug and, “So who did you order from?” At that point, we opted for a coffee each and the bill.

So while the Goatshed may have a stellar setting and a fantastic selection of cheese and wine, the service had a whiff of the ripe De Leeuwen about it. Fairview Cheese and Wine Farm, Suid Agter Paarl Road, Paarl, 021 863 3609, www.goatshed.co.za