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www.thevillagenews.co.za
21 October 2020
WHAT'S COOKING
See what’s baking at Daan’s By Hedda Mittner
T
he Gonggrijp family – Just, Joke and their son, Daan – have already made a huge contribution to the culinary scene in Hermanus with Dutchies, their iconic restaurant on Grotto Beach, followed by the popular Summer Lounge and, more recently, Ficks Wine & Pinchos Bar located at the historic Fick’s Pool on Marine Drive. Who knew they had another ace up their sleeve? Always on the look-out for new opportunities, their latest innovation is an artisan bakery in the CBD called Daan’s Bakery. A joint venture between Daan and Talent Musatyira, aka ‘Talent the Baker’, this lovely little shop in Dirkie Uys Street is where they celebrated their official opening last week. The pretty little garden at the back was bursting with friends and clients who had popped in to wish them well and sample their offering. All the products – ranging from ciabatta, baguette, brioche, pain de mie, rye and sourdough, to potato, white farm and brown gluten-free loaves – are made with stone-ground flour containing no additives or preservatives. Slow mixing and a minimum 18-hour fermentation allows for full flavour and enzyme development and minimal oxidation (nutrient loss). All the loaves, rolls and bread sticks are gently hand-shaped and baked in a gas oven at a high temperature.
While the Gonggrijps admit they knew little about bread baking, they felt Hermanus was in need of the traditional kind of bakery they have back home in the Netherlands. And it all came together when they found Talent, who’s done little else but bake bread for the past ten years. Starting out at the Woodstock Bakery, where he was trained by a German baker and also completed a diploma course in culinary arts through the SA Chefs Academy, Talent left after five years to join Amaro Foods, a national supplier of breads and pastries, before being appointed as head baker at the five-star Cape Grace Hotel at the Cape Town Waterfront. ABOVE: Carol Barnard, Megan Dryburgh and Anne Parke enjoyed sampling the delicious artisan breads. ABOVE LEFT: Daan Gonggrijp with Talent Musatyira, aka ‘Talent the Baker’. LEFT: Rebecca Matthysen of The Eatery (on the right) surprised Joke with a beautiful bunch of flowers at the opening of Daan’s Bakery last week. BELOW LEFT: 'Talent the Baker' with some of his freshly-baked breads in Daan's Bakery. BELOW: Among the well-wishers were Albert Lubbe, Theo Krynauw and Francois Barnard. PHOTOS: Hedda Mittner
With such an impressive resumé, the Gonggrijps were very excited. There was just one problem – after the year our restaurants have experienced, they were unable to match Talent’s Cape Grace salary. Instead, they offered him a share in the business, which Talent gladly accepted. As a co-owner of Daan’s Bakery, Talent is now happily settled in Hermanus and gets up in the middle of the night (something he is quite used to by now!) to start baking at 02:00, six days a week. The shop opens at 07:00 on weekdays and 08:00 on weekends, and closes at 14:00. Daan’s Bakery is open on Sundays but closed on Mondays. You’ll find them next to the Health Shop in Dirkie Uys Street (and opposite Co.Unity, where Standard Bank was before.) Orders need to be placed before 10:00 for the following day by contacting 071 115 1205 or info@daansbakery.co.za.
PHOTO: Di Rattle
Join us at Ficks, 7 days a week, for your favourite pinchos, wine & cocktails. We also have a range of crispy flammkuche available as well as a delicious selection of desserts. We are situated at 8 Marine Drive, Westcliff , overlooking the historic Ficks Tidal Pool. We have wheelchair access to the left side of the parking area. Please visit our website to view our full menu.
EMAIL: info@ficks.co.za
TEL: 0283124082
