Last week, the Gardener’s Cottage, a southern suburbs institution in Newlands, celebrated 30 years of being in business.
Started by the Barty family in 1993, this iconic eatery is still in the family, supported by general manager Nikita Demblon and a crew of over 25 employees.
“This beautiful location, under the Camphor tree, has witnessed celebrations, reconnections, friendships and family times over the years. It’s a happy place,” says the matriarch of the business, Lee Barty.
“In keeping with Cecil Michaelis’ mandate for the Montebello Design Centre, we believe in promoting from within and are committed to empowering and upskilling our staff. Many of our staff began working with us as cleaners or dishwashers. Two have developed into artisanal bakers, making all the artisan bread on the premises, others are waiters and chefs,” says Lee’s son, Jeremy.
“We have a team of full-time front of house and kitchen staff, whose commitment to excellence and loyalty has kept us in business for 30 years,” he tells People’s Post.
It all started when Jeremy “enticed my mother to join me in starting the Gardener’s Cottage when she was a first year teacher at Silwood Cooking School at the time.
“We spent six months renovating the derelict cottage and garden. The entire family helped, brothers and sisters, wives and kids. My youngest son was six months at the time and he now runs our website and helps with the tech.”
That is how, Jeremy says, they have become part of people’s lives over three decades, celebrating weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and more.
The restaurant is like no other, the Barty’s believe, as it is part of nature, tranquil and peaceful under the giant camphor trees.
But of course, the Cottage has faced its fair share of challenges, like the Covid-19 pandemic, which crippled the hospitality sector through its limiting restrictions.
“Covid was extremely challenging for everyone in the restaurant trade. We were petrified the day we closed not knowing when we would re-open. As challenging as it was, it birthed the idea of our take away/deli/bakery set up,” imparts the restaurant’s general manager, Nikita Demblon.
She continues in that, since Covid, they now have a fully functioning on-site bakery which will be launching an online service in the next two months.
Over the decades, in keeping with their mantra of delicious, value-for-money food, the Cottage has achieved many food accolades: best alfresco, best child-friendly, best breakfast and best restaurant. This year they were included in the Inside Guide’s The 40 Best Breakfast spots in Cape Town.
Demblon praises their cooking by saying: “Our Eggs Benedict is one of our most popular breakfasts and has won us many accolades for being one of the best breakfasts in town. We use the best products in our seasonal dishes and popular favourites, all made with love.”
Marking their 30 years in business, Jeremy has taken the reins over form his mother Lee, with Demblon running the business for the next three decades.
“We will always keep with the tradition of good-value-for-money-food, in a beautiful setting, including the next generation and welcoming them to the restaurant,” he adds.
