Newlands Village is establishing itself as a centre for exciting and unusual food and wine shops, eateries and bakeries. Two recent additions are both adherents of the Slow philosophy.

Sonia Cabana, the well known chef and presenter of the TV programme Pampoen tot Perlemoen is to open a fine food shop, café and small bakery in the Dean Street Arcade. Sonia lived in Britain and Europe for twelve years before returning to Cape Town and received her chef’s training at, among other establishments, Anthony Worrall-Thompson’s Bistrot 190, Rowley Leigh’s Kensington Place, Justin de Blank and Blacks Soho. Her emphasis will be on organic and environmentally friendly products.

At Montebello, off Newlands Avenue, there is a new café and organic deli: Kwalapa. They serve breakfasts and light lunches and stock a range of organic and eco-friendly products. The day I went, they had, amongst other things, a range of fabulous-looking mushrooms – varieties I had never before seen in this country – also beautiful little baby beets, kohl rabi, free-range eggs, and pork sausages.