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COUNTRY CHARM AT WYNNIFREDS

COUPLES WORKING TOGETHER

YOU’LL FIND A RELAXED FARM FEEL, GREAT FOOD AND LOTS OF SPACE FOR THE KIDS TO RUN AROUND FREELY AT THIS INVITING DESTINATION CAFE IN

CAMPERDOWN, WRITES KATRINE ANKER-NILSSEN

ABOVE: The Allan family.

Tonia and Greg Allan relocated to KZN five years ago – when their youngest daughter Chloe was only six weeks old. They also have seven-year-old

Frances. “Our daughters have so enjoyed growing up in the wonderful farming community of Eston, and love to run around catching frogs and fireflies,” says Tonia. Tonia, who has a B.Com in Industrial

Psychology, is a people’s person – so her line of work has always centred around that. “I worked as a florist in

London, I owned several businesses in

Johannesburg and Cape Town, and I have also worked as a tour operator – creating beautiful itineraries for travel across South

Africa,” she says. Greg has always had a passion for food and operations, and at one point was the operational manager for 60 stores of a restaurant franchise across Johannesburg and Botswana. “Greg loves to cook and we often create our own dishes at home, taking inspiration from sampling many different food styles while travelling through

Europe,” says Tonia. “We love travelling, and we love variety.” Wynnifreds Café and Shoppe was started by Wynne and Marc Smith, who own the farm that Wynnifreds is situated on. “After a year of managing the business, they approached us about taking over, and I felt the cafe was too beautiful and special not to continue running,” says Tonia. “I had always been in absolute love with Wynnifreds, so we didn’t hesitate at the offer and jumped at the opportunity.” A year later they are still as excited about the business and continue to work on creating awareness to all the local communities about their awesome little “destination” cafe. Wynnifreds offers a simple yet delicious menu of breakfast and lunch items. “We have the most perfect setting for families to come and enjoy the outdoors, get fresh air and just relax on the lawns,” says Tonia. “We pick most of our veg and herbs from our garden, and will soon also have our own honey and eggs.” Supporting the local community is very important to the Allans. “Our team have been with us for some time and understand the importance of friendly yet efficient service. They love what they do, which makes it a great environment to be in.” Always looking at something different to offer their clientele, there are trails for walking and running. “We have some awesome trails on the farm with the best views. There’s even a toilet on top of the mountain! Check in with us before you leave and pay a small fee of R20pp,” says Tonia. “We also offer a private venue for functions. This beautiful historic building can seat about 60 people and creates a lovely setting for any occasion.” *