he grounds on which Fairview stands was first registered in 1864 in the names of Messrs. Swemmer and Meyer, directors of the first bank in George. When these two gentlemen found themselves in financial difficulty in 1894, they sold the farm to Koos and Miems Stander.
The Standers had sold their farm at Victoria Heights and bought Fairview so that their 8 children could go to school from home. In those days it was a big apple and cattle farm on the outskirts of George. Two sons became attorneys, one son qualified in Scotland as a dentist and all 5 daughters qualified as teachers. To get to Wellington Teachers College the girls traveled by horse-drawn cart to Mossel Bay, from there by ship to Cape Town and then by train to Wellington! Koos Stander was Mayor of George from 1926 to 1932 and the house stayed in the Stander family from 1894 to 1974. In those days it was a big apple and cattle farm on the outskirts of George; today it is centrally situated in the suburb of Bergsig and the grounds measure 3800m². In 1994 we moved back to South Africa after a 13 year stay in Namibia. We bought Fairview and took up the challenge to restore this historic George landmark – always bearing in mind that the challenge in restoring and maintaining any old building remains staying true to the authenticity of the structure. We therefore removed a garage that altered the square Georgian shape of the original building. Eight windows had to be replaced and were meticulously duplicated using the old frames as templates. The time consuming restoration was contracted out to a specialist team and took nine months to complete. Waterproofing of the clay walls proved to be a major challenge, as was the stripping of the many layers of paint to expose the lovely wood again. All the plumbing and electric wiring had to be redone, the 4 chimneys and fireplaces needed radical repairs, and most of the light fittings were removed and had to be replaced with antique ones again. Below are two very old photo's showing that the house originally had a pitch roof on the front section. There is no record of when the facade was changed to that of the typical flat-roofed Cape Georgian style. As not even the 82 year old Stander granddaughter could remember this pitched roof, it was decided not to replace during the 1996 restoration. In 2013 we embarked on yet another phase, this time renovation more than restoration. New garages were built for private use at the Smith Street entrance, a spiral staircase was added to the inner courtyard to give access to two upstairs guest rooms, the little storeroom below the swimming pool was restored and turned into a small guest room and 4 of the bedrooms were renovated and re-decorated. The house is now fully restored to its long lost splendor and elegance and is listed with the National Monument’s Council as well as the local George Heritage Trust. Desmond is passionate about his garden - work on the garden is an ongoing labor of love. The front garden is more formal in structure - in keeping with the formal Cape Georgian style of the house. The flowerbeds on the Eastern side of the house is more informal. At the back of the house we have fruit trees, a herb garden, vegetable garden and a small orchard. We also keep our own chickens to keep the kitchen in supply of fresh eggs.
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I sometimes have to remind myself that I cannot please all people all the time. Recently I made the mistake of upgrading guests who had booked one of our Standard rooms to a room which I consider a Superior room. The Standard room of their choice faces west and currently looks down onto a hub of activity because of the renovation to our Annex ( which is thankfully on schedule and should be finished in less than 2 weeks.) So I thought I was doing them a favour by giving them a free upgrade to our Room 1 which faces towards the garden. Apparently, the guest walked into the room and exclaimed in disbelief that surely this could not be considered a luxury room.
Which has me confused. The guest who stayed in Room 1 the night before them wrote in our guest book: "thank you for a wonderful stay - incredible attention to detail". The last TripAdvisor review was from a guest who stayed in Room 1 and reads: "My husband and I stayed at Philda and Desmond Benkenstein's wonderful B&B for three nights. What a find! Breakfasts were outstanding, room more than comfortable and the hosting fantastic! There was an equal measure of privacy and the excellent company which made us feel very much at home. Desmond's garden has been lovingly cared for and attracts a variety of bird-life. The attention to detail in the house is meticulous: I loved the silver coffee pots, decorative antique books, and modern bathroom; my husband enjoyed attention from Juno the dog. We can't recommend this establishment enough ... and look forward to another visit in the not-too-distant future!" Luxury is relative I suppose. Desmond and I have stayed in some pretty luxurious hotel rooms - but then not at B&B rates. We have also stayed at B&B's where we have experienced luxuries far greater than those offered by most 5 star hotels. If we let the guest stay in the Standard room that they paid for they would not have been tempted to pass criticism - or would they have complained that our Standard rooms could not possibly be Standard: mohair throws, top quality bedding and mattress, flat screen Samsung television, DVD player, coffee/tea making facility, microwave,safe, heaters, ceiling fan, ironing board and iron, heated towel rail,original art, Oriental carpets... Some text obviously came from our website, but whoever wrote this definitely had to have stayed here - I wonder who?
Built in 1861, Fairview Historic Homestead has been sympathetically restored to its original Cape Georgian splendour, and invites guests to experience elegant accommodation in the heart of the Garden Route. On arrival, the gardens make a spectacular first impression and are undoubtedly the showpiece of the property. Lovingly curated into a fairy-tale expanse of arches, flowerbeds, flowing lawns, water features and clipped hedges, this magnificent space will steal the hearts of all guests, whether they have an appreciation for gardening or not. The striking Georgian house fits beautifully into this pretty scene and has been furnished with a collection of antiques and artwork that, together with the high ceilings and wooden floors, perfectly capture the grace of old. Coming in different shapes and sizes, the guest rooms add contemporary touches to this antique feel, and are fitted with modern comforts such as free wireless internet, fans or air conditioning, heaters safes, bar fridges, tea/coffee facilities and flatscreen televisions with DVD players. Plump mattresses, dressed with cotton percale linen, mohair blankets and soft unicurl duvets, ensure that sleep comes easily. Two of the luxury rooms, both of which open onto a fragrant lavender garden, have the comforting bonus of a fireplace. One of these rooms features a full en-suite bathroom, while the other has a wheelchair-friendly shower and can accommodate an extra child on a single bed. The other two luxury rooms- one with a full bathroom and the other with a shower- are situated upstairs. A smaller upstairs room is available for solo travellers who only need a bathtub, and can accommodate a second guest at a pinch. This is also the case with the economy room, which has been converted from a storeroom into a cosy guest room with an en-suite shower. Due to limited storage space, the economy room is best suited for overnighters. Equipped with a kitchen and lounge, the self-catering annex is a sleekly modern two-bedroom unit which provides full access to the main garden and swimming pool, while also having the privacy of a back verandah overlooking its own pretty little garden. On sunny days, braais can be enjoyed here in absolute solitude. For guests staying in the rest of the rooms, breakfast is certainly a highlight, incorporating fresh produce straight from the garden. The meal kicks off with unique fruit entrées and cereal, yoghurt and baked fruit compote, while in winter, warming maize porridge is standard fare. This is followed up by a mouth-watering main course during which guests can enjoy everything from eggs benedict, to omelettes, French toast and waffles, all cooked to order. A wide range of preserves, also prepared with produce from the garden, can be smothered onto fresh French bread from the local patisserie. After this satisfying start to the day, guests can discover the beautiful sights and smells of the garden or lounge around the saltwater pool. Trips to various other gardens in the area can be arranged, and the staff will gladly assist with making dinner reservations or recommendations on some of the Garden Route’s wealth of attractions. To end the day in delicious style, a hearty dinner can be prepared for you at the guest house, either served in the dining room or delivered straight to your room. Our son Eckart is a spear-fisherman of note. His dad and brothers are not too shabby as sea-hunters either.
When the Benkenstein men bring home fish we eat fish for three days in a row. This is one recipe that I can honestly claim as my own and it works perfectly with frozen fish too. I've even substituted fresh fish for tinned tuna and it is still fool-proof - let's face it: every fish brought home represents 3 that 'got away'! This is just one of those recipes you are going to write and thank me for sharing... Crust:500 ml cake flour 20 ml baking powder 2 ml salt 125gram butter 150 ml milk Sieve the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then crumb the butter into the flour with your fingers. Add the milk and use a metal spoon to mix it to dough consistency. Cover with cling-wrap and leave to rest in the fridge. About 2 cups of stir fried vegetables: I fry a sliced onion, about half a cup of celery, half a cup of carrots that are cut in thin circles. Then I add baby marrow, green-pepper,pineapple - whatever I find in my vegetable basket ... Add about 2 cups of flaked fish. Any fish will do - I have even used tinned tuna and still managed to turn out a pretty decent fish pie. Half a cup of coarsely grated cheese (Cheddar, but hey - whatever you find in your fridge) and half a cup (125 ml) Creme Fresh, 7ml hot English mustard.Mix together, but do not over mix. Add some seasoning to taste and because we love dill with fish , I add a good 80ml of finely chopped fresh herbs. (For a variation you can add lemon zest and parsley) Chill in the fridge. About 2 hours before your guests arrive you roll out the dough on a flour dusted surface into a big rectangle. Put your filling down the center and fold over the sides. Roll it onto a baking tray with the sealed edge to the bottom, cover with cling and refrigerate. Half an hour before you would like your guests to sit down for dinner you preheat the oven to 200ºC. Cut 2 cm slices through the pie, brush with milk or egg white and bake for about 25 minutes. Do not over bake! Serve with green salad and crispy white wine. Certainly one of the joys of running a guesthouse is that you never know quite who will walk through the door...
One of my favorite stories is of when I had Robert Redford and Winnie Mandela staying over - well, maybe not quite: I received a call from a gentleman in San Francisco with a voice a smooth as Robert Redford's (I looove Robert Redford...) He told me that he had just e-mailed me a request for accommodation, but that he was phoning to make sure that I would not have a problem with his partner being black. That's where Winnie comes in. Let me explain. When I was a young schoolgirl in Cape Town, I had a hostel roommate who stayed on Robben Island. Once she invited me to visit her for the weekend. That meant a trip down to the harbor and then by boat to the Island, the boat was called the Issey if I recall correctly. Just before we took off, the most beautiful, well dressed, regal woman that I had ever seen, gracefully walked past us to sit quietly downstairs. I silently mouthed to my friend: "who is that?" and she whispered back: "Winnie Mandela". Now when Robert told me that his partner was black, immediately a picture of a young Winnie sprang to mind. I assured him that it would be no problem and that I would reply to his e-mail immediately. When I sat down at my computer I was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion at the thought that this man even deemed it necessary to phone to make sure that the love of his life, who he was treating to a trip to Africa, would not be subjected to racism. So I wrote them a letter telling them that they should come to South Africa with an open mind and not prematurely succumb to fear of discrimination and that I was convinced that they were going to be bowled over by the hospitality of South Africans. I also added that they must remember that if people stared it could also just be because they made a handsome couple. On the day of their arrival it was with great anticipation that I opened the door - to find an elderly gay couple, no resemblance to Winnie or Robert at all, but with huge smiles and a huge bunch of flowers to thank me for my lovely letter. We had a wonderful time together and I'm happy to report that they thoroughly enjoyed their South African experience. It is countdown to the annual Garden Route Open Garden Festival this Saturday and Sunday. Desmond is gardening before work and I hardly get greeted before he is off into the garden again after work (he jokes that he actually goes to rest in his air conditioned medical practice during the day as the real work starts when he gets home!)All the hard work shows - our garden is looking spectacular. I am excited about a little collaboration with Of the Earth Catering - delicious French pastries and healthy lunches will be served at Fairview Historic Homestead's Pop-up Tea Garden.
My hard work organising the Open Gardens is also coming together. We have beautiful maps sponsored by Coke. I have got quotes for a new brochure to showcase private Garden Route gardens open throughout the year for viewing by appointment. We are holding thumbs for a successful new tourism product for the garden route. Already a year ago a group of gardening enthusiasts chanced upon the website and subsequently visited our garden - I copy the letter I received from them: 'Please do forgive me the time that it has taken to write and thank you. Although we never met, you were very generous to an RHS Holiday tour party back in November in allowing us to come and visit your garden It was during the torrential rains that we had during that month and our day was supposed to involve a trip from Knysna to Hermanus enjoying the beauty of Wilderness along the way. Considering the dangerously high water levels, Wilderness was never going to happen and so we sought out an alternative option. The tour was about seeing the Floral Wonders of South Africa, but many of our guests had wanted to see a "typical South African garden". I am not sure I would count your garden as "typical", it was so far above the average South African garden, but it was really appreciated by the group to see what a keen gardener can achieve in South Africa. Through a continual downpour, the group enjoyed browsing amongst the various rooms of the garden, admiring the structure and mix of plantings, both native and non-native plants (several of them commented that it was so nice to see plants they recognized!). It was only a short visit, and everyone was drenched by the end, but it gave the group something special to remember from an otherwise dismal day. So thank you very much for your openness to let us visit ; it was just a shame that you were not there to show us around as you would have had a very attentive audience. There is another tour planned for 2015, and maybe it would be possible to actually plan in a visit more officially into the program, as well as other local gardens that you are now promoting through the George Open Gardens. If you think that this would be a possibility, then please do get in touch with me and I will pass your details onto our RHS Holiday organizing team. " I once sat in a meeting targeted at accommodation providers and the speaker twice repeated the words: 'We can not allow ourselves to become too precious about our B&B's'. Well, It took all my self-control not to shout: 'if your B&B is not precious to you, you should not have a B&B.' A fellow guest house owner argues that our B&B's are so personal to us that we often take criticism about as well as we would if we were told that we have an ugly or a naughty child.
Over the years I have acknowledged to myself that I have a love-hate relationship with TripAdvisor. I mean, who does not like to read guests gushing about the lovely breakfasts that you cook them, about the cleanliness, about the old-fashioned hospitality, the personalized service, and care - all the things that have become synonymous with staying in a B&B or guest house. If I read the messages of appreciation in my guestbook, I often wish the guest would have taken the time to write that on TripAdvisor as I have a feeling that TripAdvisor reviews have become more influential than the effect of the South African star grading system. Of course, as guest house owners we have to step back and take to heart whatever criticism or suggestions come our way and do something about it if we can. Last December I had a man complain about the mattress. This is the same good quality mattress that other guests have complimented us on in the past, so I knew that his complaint could not possibly have anything to do with the mattress. Just to buy myself some time to figure out what the complaint could be about I asked him what kind of a mattress he slept on at home - his answer: a futon... The other day we were at a restaurant and with the bill came a little notice that read: 'If you 'like' tell TripAdvisor. For improvement tell us. Social Media having gained the importance in our lives that it has also means that a 'like' on your guest house facebook page becomes as important as it is for a child to get a gold star on the forehead from Teacher. This week I asked my facebook contacts to 'like' my page as I wanted to reach 100 ' likes'. What fun - I got messages from people I had not spoken to for years, I even got a 'like' and a message from a friend of a friend: On behalf of my "buddies" Helen and Andries - I just "liked" your page!! No doubt you will sail past the 100. Berni, I 'like' you right back. Another guest had a bunch of flowers delivered! I may only be number 8 on the TripAdvisor popularity list, but I feel liked - thank you. My daughter is a food stylist and opened my eyes to the importance of food presentation. We eat with our eyes before we taste with our mouths…
A few rules: • Garnishes should be edible. Yes, that goes for flower and / or leaves too… • Keep it simple : if you have tomatoes and fresh herbs providing color , it is really unnecessary to add a circle of orange with a sprig of parsley too. • Yes, definitely lose the sprig of parsley on the orange or tomato slice! • Leave a clean rim on the plate: a rim full of sprinkled paprika or finely chopped parsley is so yesterday. A clean rim leads the focus to the food in the centre. • Balance : distribute the food on the plate so it does not appear lopsided • Strive for a variety re. colors and shapes. Add color with garnish or food and keep shape in mind too : e.g. when serving a fried egg (round) use tomato wedges or baby tomato halves heaped together; when serving scrambled eggs off-set it with round tomato slice. • Add interest with a different plate: you will sometimes have businessman who will have the same bacon, sausages, mushroom and eggs 3 mornings in a row! Add interest by using a square, colored or patterned plate on alternative mornings About a year ago my daughter introduced me to the joys of Pinterest. What an amazing way to organize your thoughts, plans and to get inspiration. (For inspiration you may look at my Pinterest board http://www.pinterest.com/phildab/linnekas-laundry-room/ )
And my other favourite: Houz As a guest house owner, the linen cupboard can be both a frustration and a joy - depending on how the Fairview Homestead linen cupboard users use or abuse it. Now I am not naturally the tidiest person on earth (my husband and daughter are...) I have to work at it. And for that, I need rules that I as well as the staff have to adhere to. We sort, fix or discard every 3 months. My 5 rules for an immaculate linen cupboard: 1. sort and discard 2. signs - to show what goes where 3. simplify - do the sheets on the beds really have to match the yellow, blue, red and orange themed rooms? 4. standardize - go for white 5. sustain - now that's the most difficult part! The same rules applies to the cleaning products cupboard. I have made life a lot easier by using one bio degradable product that is diluted to different levels depending on the use. It can be very annoying when you are looking for bed sheets and pillow cases and nothing seems to match. I find it easier to organize the bed linens so that it is easy to find each set of sheets, pillow cases, etc. for each bed. This method also makes it easier to get rid of sheet sets that are old and worn - if the top sheet is worn and you get rid of it, you may forget about the bottom sheet if you don't see them together. Blanket boxes for spare mattress, pillowcase protectors, blankets etc. are clear plastic ones. The emergency medical box also lives in the linen cupboard - it is one of those plastic drawer types and I use the same type to store bathroom amenities. I would recommend that you reuse any sheets that are no longer part of a matching set for other things around the house. For example: You could use old sheets and blankets to make new ironing board pads and covers. Donate old sheets and towels to a local church or homeless shelter or to a local animal welfare society. On that note, if you have a dog, make some thrifty knot toy from your old towels. Cut the towel into strips lengthwise about five inches wide and tie knots along the length of the towel close together. Your dog will love chewing on it. You could also sew a couple of old sheets together and use as a beach blanket. Use your old sheets to make gift, laundry or shoe bags. Just cut the size you need, sew a one-inch seam for the drawstring, and then sew the bag together. Make your own cleaning cloths and rags. We have just harvested the first beans of the season. I just have to share our daughter's memories of harvesting beans with you:
Long before I knew I would make a career of my passion for food, my childhood summers were marked by warm evenings congregated around the kitchen table, top- and tailing beans. In winter, my brothers and I were asked to squeezed one liter of orange juice per day as part of our daily chores and together with the bean harvest, these were the rhythms that marked the seasons of my childhood. As long as I can remember my father has been a keen vegetable gardener. He fought the odds in the harsh Namibian climate by building an elaborate shaded frame over his vegetable garden; and during one short summer spent in Canada, filled our basement with the sweetest sweet corn and buttery new potatoes. My mother has had to become very creative with my father’s harvests, be it spinach, broad beans or rhubarb there is always more than needed! She’s had to come up with a number of ways to preserve and capture the deliciousness for another day or season and this broad bean and garlic spread is just one of those recipes. Broad bean and garlic spread Ingredients: 1 whole garlic head, cut horizontally 4 cups of beans (can be replaced with butter beans) Salt and milled black pepper 1 onion, finely chopped Olive oil, to drizzle A small bunch parsley or thyme sprigs Day-old baguette to make bruschetta Optional: 2 rashers of streaky bacon, this gives the dip a delicious, smokey flavor. Method: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Drizzle a little olive oil on the garlic and roast until it is completely soft. In a small pot, fry the onion. Add the bacon, if you are using bacon and render slowly on low heat. Add the beans and the soft garlic puree; slowly cook with the lid on for 20 minutes. Mash the beans slightly with a fork, but keep the dip chunky. Remove from the heat add the chopped parsley or the thyme leaves. When serving drizzle generously with olive oil and salt and milled pepper. Serve with char-grilled bruschetta. Bruchetta: 1 mini baguette, cut into 1.5 cm slices at a slant. ¼ cup olive oil Heat a griddle pan until it’s smoking hot. Brush the bruschetta with olive oil and griddle until toasted and slightly charred. Green Beans Marinated in lemon, chili, and coriander served with Quinoa Quinoa is available in selected supermarkets but can be found in health stores and specialist food stores. (Serves 4) Ingredients: 250 ml quinoa 300g green beans, tossed in oil 60 ml of olive oil Juice and zest of a lemon 1 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 chili, seeded and finely chopped A bunch of fresh coriander 50g toasted pine nuts Salt and milled black pepper Method: Cook the quinoa in salted water, following the instruction on the packet. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, chili, and fresh coriander to make the marinade. Chargrill the beans very quickly on a hot griddle pan and while they are still hot, toss them in the marinade. Allow them to cool and marinate for 20-30 minutes. Season the quinoa, and serve with the marinated beans and toasted pine nuts. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with lemon wedges. |
About the blogEnglish is my second language. I blog about life as a guesthouse owner - it's personal, it is from the heart, it's honest. The inside story. The ups and downs of owning a guest house... AuthorFor book orders in S.A. click on this link Categories
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