By Chef Mpho Charles, Xploreza’s Resident Chef
Located just east of Pretoria, Rosemary Hill is a hidden gem offering the perfect mix of nature, relaxation, and adventure. Its lush landscapes and serene gardens create a peaceful retreat, making it ideal for both long-distance travellers and locals seeking a staycation. Rosemary Hill is a tranquil sanctuary where you can unwind and reconnect with nature. I recently chose this venue to celebrate my 50th birthday with my best friend, Linda Kgafane of 38 years. During our stay, I connected with one of the owners, Chef Theresa Franken and enjoyed her sumptuous food and even better conversations.
Tell me about Rosemary Hill and its different attractions.
Rosemary Hill is a family-run business with three wedding venues (two in Pretoria and one in the Eastern Free State), two restaurants, and accommodation for up to 186 guests. More than just a place to stay, it offers wholesome activities like mountain biking, hiking, padel, and Segway tours through scenic landscapes. The farm also hosts three schools and a boarding house, with our kitchen team providing meals for the children.
Tell me about your food journey. Where did it all begin for you?
I’m a self-taught cook with a passion for food that started in high school when I won an academic prize and chose “Kook & Geniet”, a South African classic. Since then, my collection of cookbooks has grown to include hundreds of titles, mostly by South African authors.
I spent three years in London working and training in various restaurant kitchens, which deepened my understanding of food and refined my skills. I brought this experience back to Rosemary Hill when we launched the hospitality side of the business 15 years ago. One of my early ventures was introducing an authentic English High Tea experience, which became a great success. We hosted thousands of tea parties over the years, but the pandemic forced us to pause this. As the business evolved, we shifted focus to cater to the growing demand for unique accommodation experiences.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
My husband and I love to travel and explore new cuisines, delving into the stories behind the food. One of my favourite cookbooks is “The Great South African Cook Book,” which beautifully tells the stories of our finest local cooks, chefs, bakers, farmers, foragers, and food heroes.
Tell me more about the type of food you serve here?
Our menu showcases cherished family recipes that have stood the test of time, from the cookies in our shop to the pumpkin pie we’ve been serving at weddings for 15 years.
What is your kitchen’s Philosophy?
At Rosemary Hill, our kitchen follows the motto “Love Food, Hate Waste,” but our true focus is on people, putting them above profit. I’m passionate about supporting our community and always seek ways to add value. We prioritise upskilling our staff, many of whom had no prior qualifications, to help them become fully qualified and gain valuable experience.
Tell me more about Rosemary Hill’s sustainability programme.
We are dedicated to supporting local suppliers, sourcing eggs and microgreens from nearby farms, and using pecan nuts, lemons, and herbs from our own gardens.
Sustainability is at the core of our operations:
1.All our packaging, from shop products to picnics, is biodegradable.
2.We’re transitioning fully to solar power.
3.Our farm has always been organic, never using pesticides or chemicals.
4.While we’ve paused vegetable farming due to a water shortage, we’ve planted 200,000 trees over the past 50 years.
What programmes do you run at Rosemary Hill?
We are committed to supporting our local community, including the nearby Lethabong informal settlement. In partnership with the Round Table, we collect and distribute fruit donations to children with unemployed parents. Before Covid-19, we ran a full-scale feeding scheme, providing a hot meal daily, but sponsorships ended, making it hard to sustain the programme alone.
We still support the community through winter and Christmas drives, providing food hampers to those in need. With renewed sponsorship, we hope to restart the feeding scheme. I believe that when people are hungry, they can’t thrive. My vision for Rosemary Hill is to leave a legacy of shared resources, making a lasting impact through job creation and initiatives like the feeding scheme.
What can guests look forward to at Rosemary Hill?
Next year, we’re excited to build a new restaurant. The existing restaurant will be transformed into a shop and deli, where you can buy products made with essential oils grown, harvested, and distilled on the farm. We’ll also offer more home-baked goodies and the chance to refill popular items like our signature room spray and body care range.
What food do you enjoy eating?
I’m a tea party enthusiast who believes a cup of tea solves everything. My favourite ‘food’ is a cup of Earl Grey tea, enjoyed with Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts) or Apple Pie with fresh cream. At home, we stick to healthy meals: homemade granola with yoghurt for breakfast, chicken salad for lunch, and fish with veggies for dinner. When we travel, I like to indulge in a freshly baked almond croissant whenever I can.
RECIPE
PUMPKIN PIE
INGRIDENTS:
250g Butter
320g Sugar
6 Eggs
280g Flour
30ml Baking Powder
5ml Salt
6 x 250ml cooked pumpkin
10 ml Vanilla Essence
SAUCE:
Bring to Boil
200g (250ml) Sugar
5ml Caramel Essence
1 x 380g Ideal Milk Tin
PREHEAT OVEN – 190°C
METHOD:
1 Cream Butter & Sugar
2 Add Eggs one by one: beat well in between
3 Sift Flour, Baking Powder & Salt – add to mixture
4 Add Pumpkin & Vanilla Essence
5 Spoon into buttered oven dish – bake 40min at 190°
6 Pour hot sauce over hot tart
