Under the oaks at the Oude Libertas Estate in Stellenbosch is an absolute gem of a destination for daytrippers the Cape over – Slow Market.
The weather was superb on the day we visited. The market is in a really scenic part of the extended city, surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills. Featuring over 100 specialty traders, one can easily spend hours here visiting each and every stall to see what is on offer. I found that the stall owners were very friendly and generous in giving away samples of their wares for passersby to try.
We are currently in the height of strawberry season and the fruit was in abundance at the market. There were some really interesting strawberry products on sale at the market as we found strawberry soaps, strawberry sausage and strawberry daquiris aplenty. I have to mention that we stumbled upon a stall called Froggit Foods and we got to try some of the best sauces and reductions I’ve ever tasted. Next time I’ll be back to buy a bottle of that Coconut and coriander peri-peri!
Good, hearty food is the order of the day here. We grabbed some fresh smoothies and wandered through the market to find something to eat. We settled on a sirloin steak roll with dijon mustard, and a falafel from the Tunisian stall. Both were well priced and more than satisfying.
To top off our day at the market, we stopped over at Moro Gelato, ordered a strawberry sorbet and dark chocolate gelato and then made our way to sit on the lawn under the oaks, at the top of the hill overlooking the market. The market really does radiate a feeling of tranquility, it’s almost like time stands still when you are here. We really enjoyed the safe environment, friendly patrons and stall owners, but most of all – the awesome goodies you will find yourself leaving with until the next time you visit.
Photography Justin Williams