Bill & Co. Swartland Street Market is a Swartland destination and is located in the older part of Malmesbury.
In David and Johann Sadie’s words “It will be a place where likeminded entrepreneurs can meet and build new networks for their different enterprises. Each individual business owner whom forms part of Bill & Co. will being their unique skill set and work towards a bigger goal. The aim is to reimagine the way business is being done in the Swartland, while making the visitors, both locally and internationally, aware of our region and all is has to offer.“
LITTLE BIT ABOUT MALMESBURY
Like most rural towns, Malmesbury has an interesting bit of history. Malmesbury was named after Sir Lowry Cole’s father-in-law, the Earl of Malmesbury. The town developed rapidly and today is the biggest town in the area, generally known as the ‘Heart of the Swartland’. The name “Zwartland” is derived from the black colour of the indigenous Renosterveld vegetation during the hot summer months.
WHY BILL & CO.?
David & Johann Sadie’s dad and grandfather was named Wilhelm Von Hindenburg Sadie. It was fashionable at that stage in Germany to call the sons after their dads and he was called Bill. Bill & Co. was established as a tribute and honoury of their grandfather.
Their dad and grandfather bought this propery in 1983. It was referred to as low-income housing at the time. Malmesbury was abandoned and neglected and as a result many buildings were standing empty for 5 to 8 years. The area has been revitalised, uplifted and invested in for the long run.
THE STREET MARKET
It’s an urban setting for small dinners of 30-50 people, or bigger events up to 150pax. Old beautiful historic buildings restored, gardens, good parking, in-house sourdough bakery and bistro, Swartland producer wines available at the bar as well as in the wine shop, weekend fresh markets, etc is all part of the offering.
The market is great way to get a taste of the local flavours and the atmosphere will give you a glimpse of the welcoming hospitality you can expect from the Swartland.
The Street Market for now takes place every second Saturday. If it becomes more in demand then they will do it more often. The market showcases the local farmers, winemakers, bakers, entrepreneurs of the Swartland.
They believe in local farmed, raised and sourced products. The vendors will be selling all things fresh from the Swartland area like oysters, snoek, piglets, free range chickens, eggs and a great variety of vegetables. It is currently still a work in progress as they are starting small ensuring they support sustainable farmers.
Why not being the kids along? There is dedicated kids’ area and a small outdoor jungle gym with swings keep little ones entertained.
MARVEL BISTRO & BAKERY
When a life long desire to serve patrons real, home cooked food, is paired with a young, brightly eyed, pastry chef, Marvel, a quaint little bistro & deli springs to life.
Marvel shares a strong ethos around preservative free, organic, free range and slow movement food, supporting local suppliers wherever and whenever possible.
They source the freshest, local ingredients prepared daily. You can find them in Paarl with their freshly baked goods and set breakfast & Lunch menu. Marvel has expanded, and they have teamed up with no other than Bill & Co. where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which you can pair with Bill & Co’s craft beers and wine.
Their true love is bread. You can purchase a ciabtta or sourdough and they also have a display of delicious treats for you to buy and take home. Delicious coffees and – of course – wines from the Swartland are accompanied by chilled live music.
WINE TASTING
The wine bar stocked with local Swartland beverages such as local wine, craft beers, gin and tonics.
DAVID & NADIA – CHENIN BLANC 2017
Chenin blanc shows incredible focus on fruit, bright but not overwhelming acidity and a lightness to the body, making it perfect for one’s everyday Chenin. Expect a fragrant nose of pear and peach which follows through to the palate beautifully.
David & Nadia is a family owned Swartland driven project and they focus on a spectrum of organic, old and dry land bush vine vineyards from different areas with different soil types throughout the Swartland, farmed by like-minded people. They are also members of the Swartland Independent Producers.
DAVID & NADIA – CHENIN BLANC 2013
Beauitiful expression of Swartland Chenin with citrus, apple and pear combining to give a succulent palate with focussed minerality and clear acidity.
This wine shows true elegance. Chenin Blanc has a complex nose of tropical and yellow fruit aromas. The wine displays upfront tropical fruit and floral characters with subtle orange blossom and a touch of lime. The palate is refreshing, soft and finely structured with a zesty and lingering finish.
DAVID & NADIA – ARISTARGOS 2017
It has a vivacious bouquet of yellow plum, mirabelle and jasmine aromas, all wonderfully defined. The palate is well balanced with a waxy texture and notes of stone fruit, sesame, walnut and orange peel.
The 2017 Aristargos is a blend of several white varieties from 14 different vineyards that includes Chenin blanc, Viognier, Clairette blanche, Sémillon, Roussanne and Marsanne. They work with fourteen different vineyards scattered throughout the Swartland, whilst still having an anchor in the Paardeberg and its granite soils.
DAVID & NADIA – ARISTARGOS 2013
Enticing bouquet of white peach, earth, dried herbs and flowers. Wonderfully poised with good fruit concentration and lively acidity with a lingering finish.
It is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne and Clairette Blanche.
CITY ON A HILL – WHITE 2017
Strikingly bright yellow in colour, the nose is redolent of flowers and peach. The palate meanwhile is juicy, rich and full – fruit concentration and texture is impressive. It’s a beautifully balanced wine.
André Bruyns, assistant winemaker to David and Nadia Sadie of the Swartland, makes a white blend under his own label called City on a Hill. City on a Hill White is a blend focussed mainly on old vineyards from the grantic slopes of the Paardeberg in the Swartland. It is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Muscat d’Alexandrie.
DAVID & NADIA – GRENACHE 2017
The nose shows roses, red currant, cherries and that olive-like note so many Swartland reds show as well as a little spice. The palate has good palate weight, fresh acidity and fine tannins.
Sourced from different vineyards in the Swartland – one organically certified, deep clay soils, and the other sustainably farmed granitic soils on the Paardeberg. Proof that a powerful vintage can create elegant, feminine wines, this Grenache reflects delicate tones and fresh fruit backed up by a subtle yet defined structure.
DAVID & NADIA – ELPIDIOS 2016
Red and black cherries, plums, earth and spice on the nose. Relatively dense with bright acidity and tannins which are smooth in the best sense. Flavourful and appealing.
The 2016 Elpidios is a blend of red Rhône varieties such as Carignan, Syrah, Cinsault, Pinotage and Grenache. It has a backward bouquet at first that opens with time, but it is very well defined, featuring blackberry, clove, bay leaf and white pepper, very understated in style but gaining clarity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin, quite insistent in terms of grip, and possesses fine backbone courtesy of the Carignan on the slightly ferrous finish.
DAVID & NADIA – ELPIDIOS 2012
This wine shows notes of of dark fruit, some earthiness, liquorice and spice. On the nose dark florals followed by spices.
Blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsaut. Medium bodied which is not to say insubstantial. Fresh acidity and relatively firm tannins. A wine of some intrigue.
DORPER – PINOTAGE 2017
This is a refreshing take on our local South African grape, with a clear focus on elegance. On the nose aromas of red current and cherry make way for a brooding savouriness, nicely held together by subtle sweet spice notes. On the palate, the wine is understated but not simple, characterised by a lingering finish backed up by a firm grip and plenty of red fruit freshness.
Dorper Pinotage is the product of a collaborative project between winemaker Reg Holder and viticulturist Etienne Terblanche. The sole mission of this project is rooted in exploring the largely unlocked potential of Pinotage in its hometown, Stellenbosch.
WINE SHOP & DELI
They have a delightful deli where you can buy a wide selection of locally produced wines and gins. The Deli stocks a variety of veggies, cheese, cold meats, pesto, spices, biscuits, craft beer only but to name a few.
RELIHAN GIN
Relihan Distillery is reviving an old tradition of distilling on the family farm SpesBona, in a quiet corner of the Riebeeksrivier valley in the heart of the Swartland.
Their philosophy is simple. They use only best, locally sourced ingredients to create a high-end gin for people who value the good things in life.
They source ingredients for their superior tasting gin from local producers. In the case that ingredients aren’t available on South African shores, they source Juniper Berries from Tuscany, Vanilla from Reunion and Cassia and Cardamom from Asia.
BLUE PEA INFUSED GIN
The beautiful blue – not a colour often found in nature – is derived from the flower of the Blue Pea plant. The infusion of Blue Pea gives the Gin its striking blue colour.
The alchemy of this unusual botanical is further revealed when the Gin is mixed with a good tonic, changing the colour to light pink. The base is nothing other than the very best Classic gin.
HIBISCUS INFUSED GIN
Re-inventing the classic, boring, clear gin, the hibiscus infused with this gin lends it a vivid red/pink color with tart berry and citrus flavours.
Due to the color, this spirit makes a brilliantly colorful substitute for normal gin in almost any gin cocktail.
SAFFRON INFUSED GIN
Gin infused with saffron adds a lovely fragrant yet seductive gin. Saffron though not only adds a glorious bright yellow / orange colour, but it also adds aroma and flavour. A slight bitter note with hint of sweetness to.
It makes a wonderful gin and tonic. Not that gin needs any enhancements or modification, but sometimes in summer a slight change can really bring out those summer feelings.
BUCHU GIN
Buchu is a plant often referred to as the miracle herb, due to the medicinal properties of its oil. The flavour is herbaceous with strong eucalyptus and distinctive fynbos aromas.
SpesBona family farm has been in the Relihan family since 1865 and inhabited by successive generations living close to the land all with an artisanal aptitude – from cartwrights and clockmakers to farmers and distillers.
CAPE FYNBOS GIN
Local ingredients found on the farm such as Buchu, wild Fennel and Rooibos make its flavour one of a kind. Expect seasonal variations when ingredients such as sour figs ripen. Can be enjoyed with Bitters and berries of your choice.
Relihan is a boutique distillery with a focus on producing fine spirits in small batches. They are fortunate to have both Renosterveld and Fynbos on the farm. They have their own lemons, buchu, wild fennel and sour figs go into the Cape Fynbos Gin.
CLASSIC GIN
Double distilled from white grapes from the Swartland. Infused with Juniper, Coriander, Angelica, Cassia and Cardamom. Light Pine & Juniper taste and smell so the other spices can be explored as well. Best enjoyed with ice, a hint of lime and Tonic water.
It’s an age old tradition for each Swartland farm to have a potstill. By producing fine spirits The SpesBona Farm is keeping an age old tradition alive and flourishing.
For more information, visit www.billandco.org.za
Categories: Malmesbury, Region
