 |
Richard Poynton
Cleopatra's |
| |
.jpg) |
Scrumptious crumpets Cleopatra-style
Cleopatra's |
| |
 |
Cleopatra's Chocolate Souffle
Cleopatra's |
| |
 |
Pumpkin a-la-Cleopatra
Cleopatra's |
| |
harismatic chef Richard Poynton is a kitchen wizard of note and, with bushy beard and specs, paints the perfect picture of a story – or is it recipe – book magician. Put it this way, there can’t be too many chefs who are accused of converting a vegetarian to fish and meat in the guest book - the very same book which is filled with accolades from international guests who return specifically for the glorious dishes he conjures up.
Richard’s rules are quite clear – he doesn’t do pre-prepared, microwave send out fare! Instead flavour, taste and texture are king and mealtime is a gastronomic celebration rather than a guilt trip. In fact, when it comes to discussing the small salad that accompanies a chicken liver starter, he confesses: “I don’t usually do salads. There are no calories and no cholesterol, so why are you eating it?”
Why indeed? Up until a month ago, Richard’s fairytale food experiences were reserved for those staying over in the fascinating guesthouse with its eclectic and unique décor. With a little lateral thinking and the addition of a new dining area known as the Pioneer Room, the doors have been opened to daily diners at last.
Lunch is a three course feast and dinner is a six course banquet – all are prepared in the downstairs kitchen by Richard and his team of three just before you take up the silver cutlery. In fact, on a quiet day, you can hear the repartee from below. These are set menus. Richard maintains that extensive a- la-carte menus in foreign languages are stressful even for him and this side of things should be left to the chef.
His choices are not random. but rather determined by the quality ingredients on hand. The Drakensberg and surrounds are the perfect place to source ultra fresh vegetables, meat and fish (especially trout). Herbs are plucked from the adjoining garden which, together with white rose bushes, provides the countryside setting of this exclusive boutique establishment.
Wines – all are South African with the exception of French champagne – come from the underground cellar.
A getaway
The home-from-home touch takes the form of a cosy lounge and book cases heavily laden with a fascinating collection that makes it more than a little difficult to drag bookworms off into the dining area which looks over a peaceful trout dam. Here, contemporary meets colonial with a magnificent photo gallery that traces the family’s lineage back to the days when the original farm was bought as a rural getaway for just six pence an acre.
“I’m a sixth generation Natal boy. We used to come up here as kids and had a wonderful time,” Richard explains. Today, the farm is the last in the Berg at the end of a magnificent drive through the Kamberg Valley. It shares 90 percent of its boundary with the neighbouring world heritage site.
The fascinating décor – sieves and graters are lampshades and the family’s silver school and sailing trophies are now vases filled with roses – is the work of Richard’s wife Mouse Poynton. When you realise that the couple created well-known Midlands resort - Granny Mouse’s Country House, all falls into place.
Granny Mouse was sold in the early nineties and Richard spent the next four years “travelling the world” and working with some of Europe’s best chefs before returning to Cleopatra’s. The farm was transformed into a luxury guesthouse during 1997 and Cleopatra’s opened in September 1998.
12 years later, the Poynton’s are still delighting guests from near and far. Richard’s culinary masterpieces remain the cornerstone – after all, even an amateur foodie can only stand in awe of a man who has perfected the ultimate chocolate tart, added homemade ice cream with an orange reduction for good measure and then serves it with a glorious full bodied port. |
