Cow motifs dot the cushions scattered on the comfy sofa at The Deck coffee shop at Irene Farm Dairy, a popular family stop, which is a hop and a skip off the N1 outside Centurion, right in the heart of Gauteng. Even the Laaities menu offers brown, white or green cows (milk mixed with cola, lemonade or cream soda respectively). Youngsters can make friends with calves and watch the Friesland cows being milked at this rural paradise. (Milking is at 15h00 every day and weekend milkings are popular, so if tiny tots want a front-row spot in the viewing gallery it’s best to get there in good time.)
What started out as a small operation selling fresh thick cream, yoghurt and certified raw milk (own containers welcome) from the Van der Byl family farm a few decades ago has grown into a complex that includes the laid-back Barn restaurant and tea garden under 100-year-old oak trees, a well-stocked farm shop and coffee shop, a trim lawn where visitors can eat picnic treats they’ve just purchased, and a play area with a jungle gym and old tractor that adds fuel to young dreams.
Five generations of the Van der Byl family have lived here since 1895 and it remains a working farm in the midst of an increasingly urbanised environment. The tractors chugging past ducks and chickens are part of the atmosphere, as are the cowpats in the yard – watch where you step!
Note: Only credit and debit cards are accepted – no cash.
Contact details for the The Deck
Tel 012-667-2326 (shop), 012-667-4822 (The Barn), www.irenefarm.co.za.
GPS: S25° 52’ 41”, E28° 12’ 48”
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