Ladies Justin Bonello

Cederberg Culinary Retreat

‘There are no bad cooks just friends who aren’t hungry enough’

Duration: 5 days, 4 nights
Destination: Cederberg
Accommodation: Keurbosfontein Farm, sharing a comfortable bedroom (own bed) with an en-suite Bathroom.
Includes: All Meals & activities in the Itinerary.
Excludes: Travel to & from Keurbosfontein Farm, Gratuities & Drinks.
Interests: Cooking, Nature, Walking, Star-gazing, Wine Tasting, Kuier

A deeply personal food journey focused on seasonal fire-inspired food by Justin Bonello

“I wish that I could start this conversation off by saying that I’m a celebrity chef, that I trained in some of the worlds best restaurants; that I’ve won awards for my restaurant … Truth is I’ve been cooking in the great outdoors since ma and pa fell off the wagon, and the title I most deserve is that of Bush Cook.

If you’re looking to have me cater at your best mates wedding or serve funny little canapés wrapped in basil foam – I’m not that guy, but if you want to go into the middle of the Karoo, the Wildcoast, the Bushveld, the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, or the Red Cederberg – in fact anywhere in the great outdoors and teach you how to cook meals on an open fire… then I’m your man.

Not only will I be giving you tips on how to up your “Braai” game, but I’ll also be sharing my tailor-made recipes and be the guy that serves up delicious smoky food all prepared on the open fire.”

 

A Ladies Only 4 night / 5-day culinary Escape at Keurbosfontein Farm in the Red Cederberg

Justin hosts this food-inspired Escape where you deep dive into how to make his favourite foods in the Waenhuis Kombuis, getting your hands dirty and harvest your own food. However, this is not just about becoming the ultimate female Braai-Mistress. There is a variety of out-doors activities to enjoy. Walk up to the Wolfberg Arch for sunrise. Savour a few glasses of wine during a wine tasting at Cederberg Winery. Wonder at the 20,000-year-old Bushman paintings, all part of the wonderous scenery of the Red Cederberg. During the hot summers, there is plenty of time to just relax & cool off in the pool.

Hosted by Justin Bonello, South Africa’s bush cook and Ultimate Braai Master, this deeply personal food journey focus’s on seasonal fire-inspired food.

Justin says, “Keurbosfontein has been carefully curated to allow guests to escape from the busyness of city life and sync with natural rhythms. Guests should arrive at Keurbosfontein with nothing other than their cameras and celebrate friendship and life with produce that is grown and harvested on the farm and surroundings, reconnecting them to both food and wild nature. Taking them back in time to when life was much simpler. I truly believe there are few places in South Africa, let alone the world that can offer this unique experience.”

 

Gathering around a fire and the ensuing braai takes us back to the cultural importance of fire. You can see it in the Rainbow Nation. We have 11 official languages and loads of ethnic groups, and we all gather around a fire. Whether it’s a Shisanyama joint in the townships, or in the heartland of the boerewors curtain or a mussel potjie on the West Coast, the cooking on fire brings our cultures together and allows us to firm up our friendship and unite us, making us remember.

I often think that fire is encapsulated in the Afrikaans word kuier. Loosely translated it means to visit, but it means so much more. It’s the word that describes how when we prepare food on the open fire, we create a social engagement that allows us to connect as a community and take a trip down memory lane to our forefathers of old.

So whether you’re alone in the bush watching the African TV, are having a sunset braai with newly made friends, are making stok-brood for the first time, are taking your children camping or are simply fighting the Winter cold with a roaring hearth, no matter where we’re from or our ethnic background – these fire memories remind us of who we are and where we come from.

I can only imagine that for our collective forefathers, fire represented a form of magic. What I do know is that this magic has translated across the millennia and is still true for all of us and is deeply ingrained in our cultural psyche.

 

Fire, Food, Wine, Star-gazing & Storytelling

Just few examples of Justin’s recipies to  get those taste buds working!

My Slow Cooked Oxtail

Oxtail takes looong to make, so do this when you’ve got time to drink wine and chill at home with friends and family.

Lamb Kofta by Bertus Basson

Delicious, packed with flavour – and super easy to pull off at home. So please,  get your hands messy with this one!

Spicy Chicken Wings

What’s not to love about spicy wings? It’s the perfect excuse to eat with your hands with a glass of wine.

Greek Style Braai’d Lamb

THis is Marthinus’s recipe. I’ll even admit that it might be better than mine! This is seriously delicious and really easy to make.

Itinerary

Day of Arrival

11h00 – Arrive at Keurbosfontein Farm.

12h00 – Enjoy a light lunch. Meet & greet by Justin Bonello followed by a short intro about your Breakaway.

After lunch, today is spent settling in, relaxing or going for a walk. Time to shrug off the stress of daily life and just decompress!

Evening – Dinner around the fire with Justin your Host, Bush Cook and Storyteller.

Activities

There are many different activities to take part in. Justin is very flexible and conscious that some ladies might want to relax with a glass of wine and a book, while others might have a more active demeanour. Nothing is compulsory and the serenity of the environment deserves to be savoured!

These are some of the activities:

Wolfberg Arch hike

Rock Art Brunch

Wine Tasting and picnic at CederbergWines

Maalgat, Truitjes Kraal and Stadsaal Excursions

A slow day in the kitchen (we’re all cooking for each other).

Sunset appreciation at Klipwerf.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day of Departure

After a relaxed hearty breakfast, feel free to have a wander or a swim in the summer.

11h30 Checkout & farewell to your newly made friends.