The popular and well renowned Hoghouse BBQ and Bakery owner, chef PJ Vadas is excited to launch Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery at Spier Wine Farm. The new opening of the Smoke house is an exciting and fruitful venture for PJ Vadas. ‘Smokehouse’ references the smokehouse that traditionally is always on a farm and is known as a style of cooking that involved the slow cooking of meat until it is soft and sticky.
PJ Vadas is a local chef that qualified from Warwick’s Chef school in Hermanus and comes from a long-line of family run business such as Midas paints which was founded by his Jewish Hungarian great grandfather in 1906. Vadas is no stranger to the restaurant scene as his parents have owned and run Pembrey’s bistro in Knysna for 23 years. It’s a significant move for him to add the family name to the Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery, a venture that’s close to his heart and his cooking philosophy.
Vadas has worked abroad and within South Africa, owing to his extended experience and skill – he has spent much time understanding and dissecting the restaurant model. Vadas Smokehouse will serve the best of the best in order to provide a true local experience by sourcing from South African suppliers.
What’s on the menu
In partnership with Spier, Farmer Angus will supply the beef, pork. chicken and eggs along with plans to grow their own vegetable garden. Vadas has shared his thoughts on the importance of home grown goods as he said, “Although it’s the fashion to be sustainable and organic, at Spier we really can achieve that, because we have a butchery on the farm.” All resources will be put to good use such as the leftover meat being allocated and reworked for meals at the Spier’s picnic deli in order to avoid food waste.
The menu at the Smokehouse & Bakery will change daily and is dependent on what is available on the farm and other local suppliers. The experience includes increasing the opportunity to share food as all dishes that you order will serve to satisfy the table such as a leg of lamb for six people.
Vegetarians do not despair as there will be an array of vegetarian dishes. The food made be sourced locally but the dishes are inspired by international flavours and techniques as Vadas stated, “Our menu might go from an English pork pie, to a taco, to a ramen-style broth. It will all be super tasty”.
Fans of Vadas’ famous ‘pastéis de nata’ will not be disappointed, and croissants will be back by popular demand in the restaurant’s bakery. Vadas is looking to source organic flour, grains, corn and polenta from Lowerland organic farm in Prieska, and plans are afoot to experiment with loaves.
A brand new bar in the space will serve beer on tap, Spier wines and will introduce an assortment of tequilas and mescal. An exciting addition is a state-of-the-art gelato counter serving Moro Gelato.
The restaurant will be housed in the Jonkerhuis building on the farm and intends to open in September 2018 after renovations. The interior design intends to reflect the African content and Vadas’s personal flair as the focus is to increase creativity and provide an ideal working space for his team and where families feel at home. “We wanted to create an environment where the food is good and the kids are welcome,” he says. The renovations will include a small kids play area, but children will also be encouraged to climb trees and run on the grass on the beautiful Spier grounds.
Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery hopes to be a place for the Stellenbosch community, “If someone brings in their homegrown tomatoes, we’ll cut them up and dress them in a Rozendal vinegar and a Morgenster olive oil and an Oryx salt and that’s it – that’s your side dish. You cannot get better food than that.”
Restaurant hours
Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery is set to open in September 2018. The restaurant and bakery will be open Monday to Sunday for lunch. Dinner will be available from Monday to Saturday.
Picture: Pixabay
