A unique attraction if ever there was one, Pucketty Farm, situated in the Underberg region of the Drakensberg offers visitors a laidback foodie and local experience in KZN. The farm is one of those rare rustic gems you stumble across purely by accident, but once you’ve been there once, you vow to return. Offering a very basic farm stall, art gallery, leafy tea garden, kid’s playground, and an animal farmyard, Pucketty owes its success solely to word of mouth.
The owner, Serena Shaw, began the farm stall by selling fresh farm bread from her back door on Sundays around 20 years ago. Soon enough, her delightful bakes had raised enormous interest and attracted wider attention by the day. Today, the stall offers a range of delicious local produce, most of which is made by Serena, her son, and his wife (who are all cordon bleu chefs).
Step inside the quirky farm stall and marvel at the shelves and fridges stocked with a range of mouth-watering delights. The cupboards are lined with shiny, colourful bottles and jars with exciting contents, ancient teddy bears, and photographs. The varied display can be quite overwhelming to those who arrive on empty stomachs, and you may have to practise some major self-discipline to ensure you don’t go home with the entire store. Take you pick of tasty treats such as creamy fudge, handcrafted chocolates, cakes, and ice creams, or savoury offerings of meats, bottled preserves, home-made sauces, and quiches with descriptions like Roasted Butternut, Crispy bacon, Sticky Onion, Sweet Chilli Sauce, and Asparagus and Blue Cheese.
The most unique part of all is perhaps the fact that the stall runs entirely on an honesty system. Yes, you heard right. No-one mans the store as you pick your choosing, except for a large, friendly white cat. Newcomers are often confused by the lack of cashier, but they soon catch on when they see the sign that welcomes you to list your purchases in a book, add it up with a calculator, and place your money in a plastic container (simply trusting that you will put in the right amount). When asked of the stall’s honesty system, Serena said: “It just runs itself and works perfectly. There’s been the odd schoolboy prank over the years, but never a big hiccup.”
After you have filled your basket and paid for your purchases, head towards the art gallery next door. It features a wide range of lovely local pieces and landscape work. Once you’ve explored to your heart’s content, tuck into your buys in the tea garden as your kids tackle the playground, offering swings and slides, and an animal farmyard. All in all, Pucketty Farm is a breath of fresh air, and transports visitors back to the day when the world relied on simplicity and old-fashioned values.
Pucketty Farm Stall is situated in Main road, Underberg, Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal. The GPS coordinates are S29° 48’ 5.1768” E29° 30’ 13.1574”. Give them a call on 033 701 1035.
Your visit to the Underberg region won’t be complete without a trip to Pucketty Farm. If you’re considering stopping in, check out our fantastic Underberg accommodation in the area.
Main Image by Plant Abundance
