High in the mountains above the Swartland town of Piketberg is Piket-Bo-Berg where the community holds a morning farmers’ market stocked with delicious produce on the last Saturday of each month.
Food lovers in the know are driving from as far afield as Cape Town to scoop up delicious goodies, ranging from crispy croissants and the valley’s own fresh fruit to olive oil on tap and mead made the traditional way from honey.
This mixture of traditional farmers and “˜lifestyle esquires’ bubble with creativity and started the market as an informal social gathering for themselves. Word has spread and now sports cars as well as bakkies are pulling into the parking area at Kruistementvlei Farm, where the market is held under a couple of leafy oak trees.
This month is going to be a biggie as the Piket-Bo-Berg Cycle Challenge takes place on 25 September and offers a choice of four routes with single track, leg-burning climbs and hair-raising downhills through scenic countryside. “˜Sissies should stay at home,’ warn organisers. Tel 022-914-5652, email [email protected]
There’s load to do and lots of farm cottages to stay in – for a list, see my article in the September issue of Getaway.
Contacts
Piket-Bo-Berg Farmers’ Market is open on Kruistementvlei Farm on the Langeberg Road from 09h00 to 12h00 on the last Saturday of each month. Branch off the N7 and drive through Piketberg on the R366, and turn at the Versveld Pass sign. At the top of the pass, follow the signs. Tel 022-914-5652.
For detailed maps and info, go to www.piket-bo-berg.co.za and www.goedverwacht.com.
