Sure, McGregor is pretty as a picture, but its charm is rooted in its people.
A mixed bunch of characters from all walks of life, some new to town and some whose families have lived there for generations.
Everyone has found a home in the tiny Langeberg town and found a place in the community.
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Walk down the main road, and you’ll see people waving from across the street, neighbours stopping for chats, and regulars visiting their favourite haunt for their ‘usual’.
It’s a small town, but it’s buzzing with activity.
The thatched-roof houses and whitewashed walls exude a pastoral charm. Visitors frequent the town for weekend getaways or lengthier retreats from the routine of city life.
Only a two-hour trip from Cape Town, it’s a great place to slow down and do nothing, but then there are also the natural surroundings, wine farms and neighbouring towns to explore.
The annual calendar in McGregor is nothing to sniff at.
In fact, many former city dwellers are happy to divulge that their social lives have become a lot more active since making the move to the platteland.
The community hosts many events largely centred around wine, food and the arts.
These include the popular McGregor Poetry Festival, the Blend Bubbly Festival, The Red & Sweet Wine Fest, the Open Garden Festival, The McGregor Music Festival and others.
Voortrekker Street
If community is the beating heart of McGregor, then Voortrekker Street is the vena cava.
Lined with antique stores, restaurants, small businesses and bars, it is the centre of village life.
This is where you get to know the real McGregor. Behind every establishment, there is a face, a name, a passion and a purpose.
The Blend
The Blend Coffee Shop and Deli was born out of a need for hard-to-get food products that you don’t often find in small towns bordering the Klein Karoo.
Owner Benita Gouws began transporting goods to and from Cape Town for McGregor residents, and with this, she started selling weird and wonderful vegetables sourced from the city.
She officially opened The Blend at the height of the pandemic, and it turned out to be perfect timing.
Benita brought little luxuries like fresh bakes, pre-made meals, Asian and Italian cuisine staples, and a variety of vegan, gluten-free and organic products to the town’s people.
Now, the deli and coffee shop is a focal point on Voortrekker Street.
People pop in to stock up on their favourite free-range meats, preserves, or farm-fresh veg, perhaps grab a cup of coffee and a warm pastry, or catch up with a friend over a light lunch at the courtyard café.
The other driving element behind the shop is the wine. Benita hand selects the bottles that occupy a corner of the store dedicated to an assortment of bio-dynamic, organic and low-sulphur wines.
An extension of her passion are the various wine festivals she organises, which always draw Capetonians to the klein dorpie for the weekend.
- Location: 46 Voortrekker Street, McGregor, 6708
- Times: Monday: 9am to 3:30pm | Thursday to Saturday: 9am to 3:30pm | Sunday: 9am to 11:30am
- Contact: +27 82 802 4843 | [email protected]
Bemind Wyne
The pink barrels on Voortrekker Street mark your arrival at Bemind Wyne.
The small garagiste winery buys all its grapes from surrounding vineyards and crushes, presses and bottles everything in the rustic shed it calls home.
The boutique cellar is the venture of winemaker Ilse Schutte, who has been making wine for over 20 years at various farms in the Cape.
Her dream became reality in 2015 when she opened Bemind and started a portfolio of her own wine, which now includes her distinctive version of a sauvignon blanc, a chenin blanc, a cinsault, a cabernet sauvignon, a shiraz and a wonderful MCC.
Pop in for an intriguing wine tasting and buy some bottles to take home with you.
Alternatively, you can order directly from [email protected] and have a case or two delivered to your door.
- Location: 45 Voortrekker Street
- Contact: 083 380 1648 | [email protected]
- Times: Wednesdays to Fridays: 10am to 5pm | Saturdays: 10am to 2pm (wine tastings and sales)
The Courtyard Bistro and Theatre
Another highlight of Voortrekker is The Courtyard.
It is run by the nicest couple, Capetonians turned McGregorians, Steve and Meg van Schaik.
Meg is in the kitchen, sending out seriously delicious comfort food like curries, slow roasts, inviting pastas, substantial salads and proper desserts!
The bistro is a welcoming room with a flickering fireplace, French doors, exposed rafters and lovely servers. Dining extends to the quaint courtyard in the centre of the old building and to the covered patio out front.
Steve is a major muso and shares his love for it through the Courtyard Theatre, an intimate performance space adorned with twinkling lights, a carpeted stage and a happy feel.
The venue has garnered quite a reputation in the industry, as artists and guests have come to love the personal nature of the shows.
There is also a bar tucked away on the street-facing side of the building, which accommodates a band room embellished with gig posters, guitars, a piano and a fireplace.
This is where the party continues into the wee hours, leading to impromptu jam sessions and late night conversations over a bottle of wine.
Tickets to the performances include home-style tin-plate meals, which are served prior to the show, and local wines, beer on tap, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks are available at the venue’s fully licensed bar.
Check out upcoming performances here.
- Location: 44 Voortrekker Street, McGregor, 6708
- Contact: [email protected] | 0760385659
- Times: Monday to Sunday, 5pm to 10pm
- Socials: @at_the_courtyard | at the courtyard
Whisky Bar
The Old Post Office Whisky Bar, occupying what was once the village’s post office, is a fine establishment where locals go to catch a game, grab a pint, shoot some pool and be merry.
As you’d expect, the whisky range is something to behold, and the restaurant serves up good ‘ol pub grub to keep you honest.
- Location: Corner of Voortrekker and Church Street, McGregor
- Times: Monday to Friday: 4pm to late | Saturday: from 12pm | Sunday: Sport dependent
- Contact: 081 809 6386 | [email protected]
How Bazaar
Shopping Voortrekker Street is a treat, thanks to the quaint antique shops, delis and decor stores scattered from end to end.
How Bazaar, next door to The Blend, sells a lovely collection of home decor, fine art and gifts by local brands and artists.
- Location: 46 Voortrekker Street, McGregor
- Contact: 023 625 1876 | [email protected]
- Times: Monday to Saturday: 9am to 3:30pm | Sunday: 9am to 12:30pm
FOUND
FOUND carries vintage and antique treasures sourced by Helena and beautifully curated in a glass-front boutique on Voortrekker Street.
The collection is full of unique pieces, light fittings in particular, as well as trinkets and decorative homeware and objects.
Helena’s partner, Moshe Glass, brings in a fabulous vintage jewellery range called Gone Glam, inspired by ‘Indian maharajahs, stars of the silver screen, the Duchess of Windsor and old Hollywood glamour.’
- Location: 41 Voortrekker Street, McGregor
- Times: Wednesday to Saturdays: 9am to 5pm | Sundays: 10am to 3pm
- Contact: Helena: 082 925 4538 or [email protected] | Moshe: 076 636 5389
- Socials: @found_mcgregor | @gone_glam
Sempurna Estate
Sempurna Estate is a family-run guest farm nestled among vineyards and orchards on 458 hectares of land just outside the small town of McGregor.
The estate is a working fruit farm that grows wine grapes, olives, peaches, apricots and citrus fruits, but it is also a provincial heritage site with original buildings dating back to the 1850s.
Sempurna offers self-catering accommodation in three deluxe Santai Suites and in its heritage Kecil Cottage.
The grounds have been beautifully landscaped with multiple gardens and gravel pathways that wind between the white buildings.
A leafy arch leads to an indigenous botanical garden with a trickling fountain, and perfectly placed benches invite you to sit down and admire the stillness of the surrounding nature.
Santai Suites
Santai is a historically listed 1860s barn that has been renovated into three elegant self catering suites.
The roomy suites comprise a lounge, a fully equipped kitchenette, a lush carpeted bedroom with a king size bed, an en-suite bathroom and a private covered patio with a braai.
Each unit is tastefully decorated with a blend of stylish amenities and rustic charm, providing a comfortable and tranquil retreat for guests. However, if you need to connect, there is Wi-Fi and a television.
Each suite can accommodate up to four people sharing, as the sleeper couch can be made into a double bed.
Kecil Cottage
Kecil Cottage, once the original settler’s home in the 1860s, has been meticulously restored and sits nestled in a lovely garden within the werf.
It has a spacious living space that includes a kitchen and a dining area with a large open fireplace.
The main bedroom is furnished with a double bed and an en-suite bathroom with underfloor heating.
There is a private courtyard with a built-in braai that leads to another separate bedroom with two single beds and an en-suite bathroom.
Guests have the option of renting the cottage with or without the bedroom off the courtyard.
While you’re there, take advantage of the sprawling wilderness surrounding you. Between the orchards and vines, there are a number of activities on the farm.
Follow the marked walking or cycling trails through unspoiled Karoo fynbos.
If it’s harvest season, pick some peaches and apricots, and during the warmer months, spend some time at the dam swimming, paddling or fishing.
Failing that, the estate boasts a 25-metre indoor, heated swimming pool.
- Location: 1km before McGregor coming from Robertson | GPS: S33° 56′ 22.32″ E19° 50′ 38.43″
- Contact: [email protected] | 082 561 1861
- Website: sempurna.co.za
Fossil Hills Trail
Across the road from Sempurna, situated on McGregor Winery farm land, you’ll find Fossil Hills.
Its six self-catering cottages are spread over the rugged landscape, which is covered in wild fynbos and famous for the 355-million-year-old fossils you’ll find etched into the Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks.
The land is open to the public to explore, and it’s well worth the gentle ascent.
The rich biodiversity, the infinite views and the evidence of ancient life lend a sacred energy to the land.
To supersize the experience, Fossil Hills also offers a wine walk, which includes a three-day guided tour through the valley area of McGregor with stops at several local wine farms.
For more information about the tour, visit the website.
- Contact: 023 625 1743 | 082 474 8096 | [email protected]
- Location: Thornvilla, McGregor
- Website: fossilhills.co.za
For further information about McGregor, visit Tourism McGregor.
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Picture: Peet Mocke
