Recently we enjoyed a great weekend away at Warmwaterberg Spa, situated on the R62 about 30 km past Barrydale in the Western Cape. Saturday afternoon we decided to take a drive out to Barrydale to have a look around town, and in doing so ended up enjoying a great coffee stop at The Blue Cow – described as the coffee shop on Barrydale’s “Waterfront”!
Situated on a calf paddock next to the farm’s dam, The Blue Cow is a small, stylish coffee shop that serves great coffee and good treats. The water below the deck is teeming with giant koi fish, and on arrival the girls were both handed pieces of bread to feed the demanding mouths – which obviously was a big hit for the two of them!
There is also an abundance of weaver bird nests alongside the water, and we were treated to a great weaving display by one of the birds while waiting for our order to arrive.
The atmosphere is tranquil and the views superb, making this quiet coffee shop quite a jewel in Barrydale’s tourist offering.
Plus, I kind of like the description/history on their menu:
“Six generations ago Robert Cooke, a farm worker near Dublin in Ireland fell in love with a landowner’s daughter, Mary-Anne Proudfoot they were forbidden to marry because of the class difference so, undeterred, they jumped aboard a ship to Cape Town and then took an ox-wagon to Swellendam in 1890 the Cooke Family ended up with the farm in Barrydale where they have been farming dairy and fruit ever since.
Boetie and Hannette Cooke continued farming in the family tradition and raised their children Bertus, Anika and Danel on the farm. About eleven years ago Hannette had an idea. She told Boetie what she wanted to do and in true male tradition he told her it was a silly idea and wouldn’t work. It took Hannette two years of female guile to convince Boetie that a restaurant in the “calf paddock by the dam” on the farm would be a good idea.
And a great idea it was… The Blue Cow was born! 11 years running, moo!”
Oh, and everyone rather enjoyed their food!
Related Link: The Blue Cow | Facebook