This bakery, butcher, wine shop, restaurant, coffee shop and ice cream parlour is called many names by the public, including De Oude Bakerij, Het Wijnwinkel and the bakery in Stellenbosch. We are all talking about the same awesome place and that is Schoon de Companje (7 Church Street, Stellenbosch).

Schoon de Companje is on the corner of Bird and Church Street in Stellenbosch. It started off four years ago with Fritz Schoon running his own bakery, he then got a coffee machine and a hot press, then he served scrambled eggs, built a bigger kitchen, started serving salads, got two hot presses, muesli and a few other bits and bobs. All along with building his company, the main focus was on using basic and yet the best ingredients.

After his company had been open for a year, Fritz met Chanelle. Chanelle is a trained chef and had spent many years in the restaurant business. She started working in the kitchen at Fritz’s bakery and helped it expand further by making their own pestos, mayonnaise, and basically everything that could be made from scratch. In 2012 they got married and from there they just continued to pour their hearts and souls into the business. Chanelle’s dream for a long time had been to open an ice cream shop, and when the opportunity came for them to expand their shop/business, her dream became a reality.

This expansion then led to the European market concept they have happening at Schoon de Companje, where the moment you walk in you feel like you are in Europe. With that there is excitement, which is what you feel when you discover this place for the first time. The smell of coffee, the sight of fresh bread and sweet baked goods, the fresh vegetables and local produce, the carefully cut meat, the home-made ice cream and the wine shop upstairs which stocks only the best of what South Africa has to offer. This place is awesome, and clearly everyone thinks the same as it is always busy no matter what time of day it is.

With the expansion and renovation finished in August 2013, the Het Wijnwinkel came to fruition thanks to Henk and Fritz. They both have a passion for good wine and with this they decided to open a wine shop stocking high quality wines. I have to say, the wine shop did get the short end of the stick by being placed upstairs and sadly is quite easy to miss. However, they are making plans to change the way it looks, making it more inviting and obvious, while also making it more interactive by offering more wine tastings on a daily basis and continuing to provide a place to discover fantastic wines at very reasonable prices.

Christie was recently appointed to run the Het Wijnwinkel and with her energy, passion and drive will turn this shop into a place that people will want to visit daily, if time allows it, for people to learn about up and coming wineries, and for premium wine and furthering one’s education on local wine in a relaxed and unpretentious environment.
Currently, Het Wijnwinkel stocks around 130 wines, all of which are unlikely to be found on the supermarket shelves. Some of the wines they stock include David Sadie, Miles Mossop, Sijnn, Lemberg, and Sequillo — to name a few. Christie, Henk and Fritz are careful in how they select the wines for the store. The wine shop was never about making money but rather about wanting to provide wine at reasonable prices in Stellenbosch, which are unique and of high quality. They make the effort to get to know the winemakers, understand the story behind each wine and taste the wine so that they know what they are selling. No wine is stocked here before all three of them have tasted the wine and heard the story behind the wine.

It really is fantastic to have such a wine shop in Stellenbosch, which stocks high quality wines, sells them at very reasonable prices and allows you to enjoy a bottle from the wine shop while dining at Schoon de Companje. In summer it is the ideal time to enjoy a glass (or bottle) of wine after work while the sun sets over Church Street. At the restaurant they serve eight wines by the glass and if you want something from the wine shop, pop upstairs, take a tour and savour every mouthful of the wine you choose to enjoy there.
If you haven’t been to Schoon de Companje yet, then best you get there soon as you don’t know what you are missing out on. The owners and staff are all so passionate about what they offer, trust me, you will go once and always go back time and time again.
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