Before we’d headed down towards the Cape Winelands region where Babylonstoren is located, I was familiar with their products, having signed up for their Seasons box which is delivered 4 times a year featuring the best in season of their non-perishable items. Their wine is delicious and I’d also ordered a vegetable box along with some of their buffalo halloumi. Everything I’d ever received from them was beautiful, not just in the quality of the products, but the design and packaging. They’ve been so so clever with their branding.

We arrived early morning and the parking lot was already quite full. Checked in for our tour our guide gave us a much needed (for me) history of the farm itself and the greater Cape region. I was fascinated to learn that this area had been cultivated as farmland starting in the 17th century, to supply sailors with fresh fruits and vegetables as they made their way between the Far East and Europe, as the busy shipping routes carrying cargo were well-underway. The Cape was approximately half way on that journey, and it was noted that sailors were getting quite sick without proper nutrition while on their way. This stop helped keep them healthy and while the farms started small, they quickly grew to fill the larger Cape area in order to provide for the many ships. 

It should be noted that the original people of the Cape are the Khoisan tribes, who had inhabited the area for about 2000 years before the settlers started to arrive in the mid-1600s. They were nomadic farmers and hunters and gathers, but with the arrival of the settlers, lost their land, were prevented from living their natural nomadic way of life, persecuted, and also infected by the many non-indigenous diseases the Europeans brought with them. This was not mentioned on the tour, but I suppose is sadly an understood truth about the history of this country.

According to the Babylonstoren website, the farm was given to Pieter van den Byl in 1692 by the then Governor or the Cape. Some of the original farmhouses, in the striking Cape Dutch style have been restored around the property and if you can believe it, the vineyards were planted way back when Pieter was given the land.  The name Babylonstoren comes from the Tower of Babel as there’s a large hill on the property that stands alone like a tower, where all of the landowners of the time would gather, discuss matters of the day and share information.

The current owners of the estate bought it in 2007 and it is they who commissioned the beautiful gardens you can visit today. It has really been their efforts over these last 15 years that have made Babylonstoren into the spectacular place it is.  The gardens were designed by a Frenchman, Patrice Taravella, who it seems turned the property from a rather uncultivated one, to a highly manicured and gloriously walkable and yet still productive space. It most certainly has the feel of a Parisian park space. 

To me, the cluster of restored original Cape Dutch style buildings near the entrance was just staggering. They’ve been beautifully updated and house a bakery, a butcher, a dairy, a dry goods space, a green grocers, and a homewares shop. They’re all just beautifully appointed, with their whimsical branding and illustrations at a perfect pitch. I can only imagine what the other side of the property with its hotel and guesthouses and spa is like! I’ve seen photos on their website and am in awe. If you happened to live in the neighbourhood (lucky you!) there are several culinary workshops each month with their gardeners and cooks and producers, wine tasting events, olive oil tours.

Our garden tour guide was a splendid gentleman (I sadly cannot recall his name for the life of me) who had been working in the gardens for years. He told stories related to the fruits and vegetables he showed us which also cleverly spoke to his own family’s humble story and what little they’d had growing up under apartheid. He picked a reed from one patch and showed us how he and his siblings had turned them into musical instruments, providing hours of fun. The height of summer, we saw zucchini and lavender and carob and grapes and quince  and plums, just to name a few! It is my understanding that the soil here in incredibly rich and the growing climate is similar to the Mediterranean (not bad, right?). All of what is grown on the property is edible or used in some sort of medicinal capacity and that’s reflected in the products they sell.

We had a lovely lunch after our tour in the Greenhouse area (their more formal Babel restaurant was fully booked). It’s a somewhat odd menu, but reflects the highly seasonal and local food they produce, much with a heavy Afrikaans feel, and my husband has not stopped talking about their citrus scones with clotted cream and marmalade. With this in mind, I’ve created my own version of citrus scones and serve them alongside some homemade tomato basil jam, as a memory to that utterly pleasant day.