A fresh breeze is blowing at Nederburg, and it is not just the icy chill of the winter season. Linda Trautmann has been appointed head chef of our The Manor restaurant at our farm in Paarl, hitting the ground running with the development of a scrumptious new winter menu.
Her wide-ranging experience in the hospitality industry has made her a true all-rounder. A German national, she received her culinary training at the esteemed Silwood School of Cookery and worked at various prominent restaurants, bakeries, guest houses and lodges in South Africa and Scotland. Most recently, Linda was head chef at Clouds Estate in Stellenbosch, where she developed seasonal menus with a strong South African cuisine influence for predominantly international guests.
Her passion is farm-to-table style cooking with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. With the carbon footprint of food increasingly under scrutiny around the world, recycling and reducing waste in the kitchen are paramount priorities for this consummately neat cook. Having worked as pastry chef and in her own bakery, she loves desserts and baking, and visitors to The Manor can expect exciting innovation on this front.
Linda also has a special interest in developing new menus, as well as creating captivating food and wine pairings. This winter, she says, dining at The Manor will be an event worth savouring. Ingredients like Nederburg’s very own salad crops, vegetables and trout will be championed to show the pristine quality and wholesomeness of the farm’s locally cultivated farm produce. Heritage ingredients get a modern interpretation with dishes like biltong-spiced beef strips, Cape Malay lamb samosas with a light yogurt dressing, boerewors-stuffed chicken fillet with brandy cream sauce, as well as rooibos chai crème brûlée & biscotti, and Amarula chocolate pudding with whipped cream.
The breakfast menu is also brimful of the best-loved local flavours, with its famous The Manor breakfast that features delicious boerewors among other typical breakfast food items like eggs, bacon, mushrooms and more. A variety of breakfast bowls are on offer (you can dress these up or down as you like), as are caramelised chocolate oats and tasty vegetarian options. As always, young diners are not neglected, with a kids’ menu featuring some all-round favourites.
Linda looks forward to meeting visitors and giving them a moreish, sophisticated experience of modern heritage dining. Expect the satisfying tastes guests have come to associate with The Manor’s à la carte seasonal menus, but with a distinct dimension of luxury and fresh, interesting twists.
